Wednesday 13 January 2016 00:19, UK
David Silva believes Manchester City have the resilience to overcome the absence of captain Vincent Kompany.
City's title challenge has been hampered by the absence of Kompany, who is sidelined with a calf injury.
The Belgium international has featured in just nine of City's 20 Premier League games this season but they have only conceded once while he has been on the field.
In contrast, Manuel Pellegrini's side have kept only one clean sheet in the 11 games he has missed.
City are still unsure when the 29-year-old will return and Silva believes they must work harder collectively in order to overcome the absence of their influential skipper.
"Vinny is a key player for us and our captain," said Silva.
"With or without him in the side we have to work hard to concede less, but it's not just the defence that defends, it's the whole team.
"It's the same when we're attacking - you need to have everyone helping out going forwards.
"So it's down to us all to perform our defensive duties and it's something we'll be trying to do to help the cause.
"Any team will miss their captain when they're out and we're no exception but when you look all over the field there are lots of figures willing to step up to the plate when needed.
"We need to get a balance between conceding less but without lowering the total amount of goals we score or chances we create."
City are third in the table, three points behind leaders Arsenal, going into Wednesday's Premier League fixtures.
Victory over Everton coupled with away defeats for Arsenal and Leicester, at Liverpool and Tottenham, respectively, would see Pellegrini's men return to the top of the table.
But Silva knows they have a tough test ahead if they are to retain the Premier League crown they last won in 2013/14.
"It's been a very exciting season and, above all, it's very tight at the top," he added.
"It's going to be a close-run thing right through until the end of the season.
"Each game is tough, it always is, but somehow this year it's even tougher and especially away from home. Every team is finding tough encounters on the road and I think you can lose at any moment when you least expect it.
"It's about being competitive until the end of the season and being in the fight."
