The 31-year-old's 55th-minute header in a 3-0 victory at Southampton, in front of adoring City fans, sparked an emotional celebration from Kompany, who has started just 21 of City's last 102 games. "For me it's always a long journey back," Kompany told BT Sport. Despite spending heavily in recent seasons, City's title aspirations have been hampered by an inability to build a consistent, reliable central defensive partnership in Kompany's absence. "Every manager Vincent Kompany has played under knows what an important player he is," Guardiola told the BBC. I want him fit enough to play every week -- he has suffered for long periods but he is a real, real central defender."

Source: The Star April 15, 2017 20:26 UTC