A rejuvenated and confident Aymeric Laporte says he is revelling in his football so far this season with City and Spain.

After a superb summer which saw Laporte help Spain reach the semi-final at EURO 2020, the central defender has subsequently gone from strength to strength at Club level with City.

The 27-year-old has forged a fine partnership at the heart of our defence alongside Ruben Dias to help City climb up to third place in the table ahead of Saturday’s resumption of Premier League action at home to Burnley.

And ahead of the visit of the Clarets, Laporte – who was part of the Spain side which lost out in the UEFA Nations League final to France last weekend - reflected on a hugely impressive first two months of the season for both Club and country.

BUY TICKETS TO WATCH CITY V BURNLEY

“I feel very happy, I feel great physically. I have stayed injury free (and) I feel very confident,” Laporte declared.

“Playing for the national team has helped me massively.

“Keeping a good rhythm is important to get the best version of yourself. Since the beginning of the season, I have been working really hard, so my current moment is only the reflection of that.

“I need to keep working in the same line.

“Playing for Spain, in big games, feeling important, it’s obviously helpful. Playing regularly helps you gain confidence in your game. I feel great.

“I feel the trust from Luis Enrique with Spain and also from Pep Guardiola here. When you have their confidence, it’s easier to play and do your job.

“I’m very happy with my performance, both at Manchester City and with Spain. I hope I can continue like that all season.”

CITY+ | SIGN UP TO ACCESS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Laporte also reflected on his partnership with Dias, hailing the impact of the Portuguese international.

But he said City were also blessed to have abundance of top-quality players, with whoever is selected able to play their part in aiding the Club’s quest for success.

“Ruben’s a great player. I think we have a good partnership as centre-backs,” Laporte added.

“We are very lucky to have so many good players, both in the defensive line and also in the rest of the lines.

“It doesn’t matter who plays, the player who features in the game is going to play at a high level.”

Defending champions City will play host to Burnley sat in third place in the Premier League table, just two points off top spot.

However, with the likes of leaders Chelsea, second placed Liverpool and fourth-placed Manchester United all having strengthened their squads, the race for the title promises to be even more demanding.

And Laporte says the City squad are collectively determined to seek further improvements as we bid to secure what would be a fourth league crown in five years under Pep Guardiola.

“It’s not easy to win a Premier League. It might seem easier for what we have done in recent years, but it has never been easy,” Laporte pointed out.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE OFFICIAL MAN CITY PODCAST

“We have always had to fight hard to win it. We have been at a high level for many years, but now we face a season with a lot of teams with great players. It’s going to be a tight title race.

“The goal of every team on top of the table is to fight to win the Premier League. It’s going to be very difficult to win it again.

“We haven’t started bad, but there are things to improve. We need to keep working and polishing some details. We trust our game, we have been at a good level, despite dropping some points.”

City v Burnley 

We will have full coverage of Saturday’s game right here on ManCity.com and on the official Man City app.

Live text updates will begin in our Matchday Centre at 13:00 (UK).

Our Matchday Live show gets under way just before 14:00 (UK), with Shaun Goater and Trevor Sinclair joining us the studio.

Andy Morrison will be providing expert co-commentary alongside Ali Mann for those who wish to have an audio accompaniment with the game. 

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MAN CITY APP

And CITY+ subscribers can watch a full 90-minute replay of the match from midnight.

CITY+ subscribers can also watch live coverage of our EDS side as they take on Leicester at 19:30 (UK). 

You can get exclusive City content with a CITY+ subscription.