Having joined City from Borussia Dortmund in September, the Swiss international defender has gone on to make a big impact in his first six months at the Club.
His latest key contribution was from the bench in last Wednesday’s crucial 3-1 win away at Arsenal, a result which helped City overtake the Gunners into top spot in the Premier League.
With so many top-class players all vying for selection, Akanji admits he doesn’t envy the City boss in making his selection each weekend.
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But Akanji says his first six months at the Etihad have helped elevate his game, with City’s intensity in training also sharpening him up further to help the 27 year old cope with the unique demands of the English game.
“We have got so many good players and you can also see that it is probably not easy for the coaches to make a decision on who is going to play at the end of the week,” the Swiss international pointed out.
“I can only speak for myself that I am trying to give my best and be in the starting 11. I think I have improved a lot [playing under Pep] and with the team.
“They are pushing me to a new level every day and I try to give everything as well.
“I have to keep up because there are a lot of good players around me and I want to show it in every training session what I can do.”
“I felt it when I came from Dortmund. The intensity in the training sessions
“Sometimes the training was only for half an hour and I was already really tired because the intensity was so high and I had to get used to it.
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“But now I am feeling really well and I know I need to bring my best every day and that I can improve a lot and that is how you get better.”
The immediate focus for Akanji and City is trained on Saturday’s latest Premier League trip away to Nottingham Forest.
Newly promoted last summer, under the leadership of Steve Cooper Forest have grown stronger and stronger as the season has gone and are unbeaten in the league at the City Ground since late September.
And Akanji says his first few months at City have only served to emphasise how there were no easy games in the unforgiving ultimate test that is the Premier League.
“Forest got a lot of new players in the summer and also their results have been showing that [they have improved] over the last couple of games,” the Swiss defender declared.
“They are doing well. It is an away game and that is not easy.
“That is one thing I have learnt in the Premier League; there are no easy games here.
“You can lose to every team if you don’t bring your best. That is why we have to keep staying focused.
“There are a lot of stadiums I haven’t played in, but I am looking forward to the game.
“We will see how the stadium is there, it is probably going to be a good atmosphere and the most important thing is to get three points out of this game.”
