Ilkay Gundogan believes the only pressure City should feel is that of the team's own high expectations.

The German midfielder asserts the Premier League Champions are not threatened by our competitors, adding he maintains the challenge of facing top-level opposition feeds the desire for improvement.

Meanwhile, also in today’s headlines, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne are hailed and tipped for greatness - as is loan star Zack Steffen.

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From the players

Manchester Evening News: Ilkay Gundogan explains the best way for Man City to deal with Liverpool FC pressure

Ilkay Gundogan: “I think we should always put ourselves under pressure because we are so talented and such a good team that we want to win every game, so the pressure comes from inside.

“The fact that Liverpool does so well recently just shows that there is a team with a lot of quality that will also be a big contender for the season.

“That’s good for the league, maybe also good for us but also good for Liverpool that we are there so it’s going to be a fight.

“It’s not going to be easy so we have to be there, we have to win and that’s the game.”

Opinion

The Sportsman: Manchester City Star Raheem Sterling: Golden Boot Winner-Elect?

Greg Lea: “Sterling has taken his game to another level in the last couple of seasons, making him a contender for the title of best inside forward in the world.

“He scored 18 goals in the Premier League in 2017/18 and 17 last time out; in all competitions, the figures were 23 and 25 respectively. He has averaged a goal every other game since 2016/17, a phenomenal record even though he is playing in arguably the strongest team in the world..

“Having made such a blistering start to the current campaign, it makes perfect sense that people are beginning to wonder whether Sterling can win the Golden Boot this term.”

Premier League Fantasy Football: Game Week 4 Ones to watch: Kevin De Bruyne

The Scout: “The Manchester City playmaker has enjoyed an excellent start to the new season.

“De Bruyne has supplied four assists in the opening three Gameweeks, already surpassing his total of three assists from an injury-hit 2018/19 campaign.

“That has helped him to 23 points, placing the Belgian third among FPL midfielders behind fellow big-hitters Raheem Sterling (£12.2m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m).

“The underlying statistics further highlight De Bruyne‘s influence on the champions’ attack.

“His total of 14 chances created is more than any other player in FPL.”

Football Fancast: Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling tells the world how to stop Bernardo Silva

Charles Jones: “How do you stop Bernardo Silva? It’s a question that almost every Premier League defence has been asking themselves over the past 12 months, yet there still seems to be no answer.

“It seems that the search for the way to legally stop Silva is still ongoing – as if you wanted to implement Sterling’s tactics you’d quickly receive a few red cards, or certainly a few funny looks.”

Loan news

Bundesliga: “Zack Steffen perfect example of modern goalkeeper” - Lutz Pfannenstiel

Lutz Pfannenstiel (Fortuna Düsseldorf sporting director): “Zack is the perfect example of a modern goalkeeper: very good with both feet, very good in the air, well-developed technically and a very good communicator.”