Vincent Kompany has been giving his Manchester City team-mates regular reminders of how Manchester United blew a seemingly unassailable lead in the title race in 2012 in a bid to ensure no one is lulled into thinking they already have the championship wrapped up.

United were eight points clear at the top of the Premier League with six games of the 2011/12 campaign remaining only to implode and enable City to win the title on goal difference in dramatic circumstances on the final day.

And Kompany believes that memory should provide a warning to everyone at City that substantial leads can evaporate if focus falters.

“I draw on that, I don't know if everyone remembers, but with six games left we were eight points behind,” Kompany said ahead of City’s game at Newcastle United on Wednesday when the runaway league leaders go in search of an 18th consecutive league win. “That's why I'm probably always the first guy to come in and say, ‘No guys, we can't really say …'

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“I really don't want that, so we push and push and push and no-one has the right to let their performance down and let their guard down.

“We have to keep it going. When you are on such a run you want to put it aside straight away and think about the next one, because you know how little it takes to lose that special feeling.

“We all have a role to say something [about dangers of complacency] – there are a lot of experienced lads in the team. We do mention it, but the manager [Pep Guardiola] will have mentioned it many, many times as well.

“But ultimately it's the same for everyone – we all have that feeling and don't want it to go away.

“It's too early to draw any conclusions. We don't need to focus on the league, or anything else other than winning the game and having a performance at the same time.”