Manchester City's Eliaquim Mangala still 'adapting' to Premier League

Eliaquim Mangala thinks Manchester City will see the best of him next season after what the French defender describes as a “difficult” first year in England.

Mangala arrived at the Etihad last summer with a big reputation and an even bigger price tag, reportedly joining City for a fee in the region of £32m from Porto.

The transition has been far from seamless for the 24-year-old, who put in a much-improved performance in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Tottenham after some arduous moments earlier in the campaign.

"It was a little bit difficult for me," Mangala said of his first year in England. "I need to adapt to the Premier League.

"I know the Premier League better now. I think I am used to playing each kind of game and I am very confident for the other seasons and the next season now."

Sunday’s win at White Hart Lane all but guarantees a top-four finish for City and Mangala insists the team’s next focus is ensuring  they finish high enough to go straight into the Champions League group stages.

“We are happy because we knew Manchester United lost against West Bromwich," Mangala said.

"It was important for us to win this game and the most important thing is three points, so it was a good game for us.

"We have three games and now the objective is that we need to finish second or third to go straight to play the Champions League next season."