MANCHESTER -- Joe Hart has declared that second place is a disappointment for Manchester City now and said there will be no excuses if they do not win the Premier League title.
City were champions in 2012 and 2014, finishing as runners-up in both 2013 and 2015, and goalkeeper Hart thinks that, with the quality of players they have, they can top the table every year.
"When I first came here league status was important, getting a good, solid base on which to build on was the mind-set," he said.
"Now finishing second isn't good enough. It's a big jump but it's realistic. We should be disappointed when we don't win. We were very disappointed last year and it's a great mentality to have in this league.
"It's a great mode to be in and a good drive for the squad. It's really exciting to be a part of. We feel like we should be going into every tournament as a favourite, we should be winning games, we feel strong that we can put a good team out.
"At the same time, we have no excuses. When we don't win we have to take responsibility for that. It is exciting going into tournaments and competitions thinking we have a good chance of winning them."
City have only conceded nine goals in 12 Premier League matches this season, keeping seven clean sheets, but Hart said the credit lies with others.
"I'm the first one to admit that it's all about the team," he said. "I've not had an overly busy season. It's mainly been about communication and having a good relationship with the back four. I think defensively we've been fantastic.
"A lot of people have played in our defence -- probably only [left-back] Gael [Clichy] has missed out because of injury. Everyone else has played their part and Gael will come in to play his part. We're in a good place. We know what we're doing and we work well together. Long may it continue."