Source: Daily_Mail
We have got more winners than you, Manchester City taunt Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
Joleon Lescott has warned Manchester City's rivals that what sets them apart is not their money but their medals. [LNB]The club may have famously failed to win any silverware for 34 yearsbut the number of winners' medals held by their players makes today'sopponents Arsenal look little more than callow kids. [LNB] Medal haul: City's squad is litteredwith title winners[LNB]For a start, City's squad have two World Cup winners, David Silva and Patrick Vieira, to Arsenal's one, Cesc Fabregas.[LNB] Add to that Carlos Tevez's Olympic gold that sits proudly alongside his Champions League winner's medal - a gong also worn by Yaya Toure - and it is easy to see why Lescott has such confidence ahead of today's clash at Eastlands.[LNB] And there are no shortage of champions now wearing light blue - including a number who have worn English crowns. [LNB]Of City's 25-man squad, 12 have won major titles in Europe, with six boasting Premier League winners' medals. [LNB]In contrast, the only Arsenal player at Eastlands today who is a course and distance winner is Gael Clichy, who played a dozen games when the Gunners were last champions in 2004. [LNB]It is the know-how of Tevez, Vieira and Yaya Toure that fills City with a confidence that this could be their year, despite the club's traditional reputation of collapsing when the going gets tough. [LNB]Even non-regulars like Roque Santa Cruz, a multiple Bundesliga champion with Bayern Munich, and third-choice goalkeeper Stuart Taylor, who won a Premier League winner's medal with Arsenal, can play their part in a dressing room where manager Roberto Mancini's demand for high standards is born out of managing Inter Milan to three Serie A titles in Italy. [LNB]THE NUMBERS GAME35 League titles won by the Manchester City squad, including ninein the Premier League[LNB]10 League titles won by Arsenal's players, including in Poland, France, Czech Republic and Russia[LNB]For players like £24million England centre-half Lescott, having so many champions around him in the dressing room can only help. [LNB]His controversial move from Everton in 2009 started disastrously with him losing form and confidence. [LNB]But when he faces Marouane Chamakh today he is a player reborn, a City and England regular this season.[LNB] 'It's going to help having players here who are proven winners,' said Lescott. 'You find the bigger the game, the more influence the experienced players have. [LNB]'Someone like Pat has won so many trophies in England and Italy. Even if he isn't starting games, he is around the place passing on his experience to the rest of us. [LNB]'It's something that is different from when I was at Everton. They had a lot of quality in their squad but they were short of having that experience of winning trophies.[LNB] 'Roberto Mancini is a winner, too. The manager demands high standards and can shout when necessary. He let us know at half-time against Blackpool that we weren't pulling our weight. [LNB]'It works more because we respect him. We don't want to let him down. I remember hearing him shout for the first time last season. I was injured at the time and was outside the changing rooms in the corridor when I heard this noise - the manager shouting. I must admit I took a step back and thought "Wow". It was a shock. [LNB]'He doesn't tell us off very often but he gets his message across. Sometimes there might be an occasion when he might speak a bit of Italian. It's not just for us to understand - it might be a blast of emotion to get off his chest. [LNB]'He's never really content. Once he's won a match, he is looking to the next one.' [LNB]Mancini will be able to get the inside track on Arsenal today from Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor and Vieira, who all used to play for Arsene Wenger.[LNB] Des Kelly: Now, show us you're worth it! Rooney must prove he deserves new dealKeep a lid on it, Emmanuel Mancini warns Adebayor ahead of Arsenal clashMANCHESTER CITY FC: All the latest news from across the web[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Stuart Taylor, Joleon Lescott, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure, Marouane Chamakh, Patrick Vieira, David Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor Places: France, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, United Kingdom, Russia, Europe
