Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero believes that the club are a step above their Premier League rivals.
Aguero scored 23 goals in the Premier League goals last season, including a dramatic injury-time winner against Queens Park Rangers that secured City the title.
The 24-year-old thinks that City are well prepared as they look to defend the championship.
He said: "We've made a nice start and this week we have our first game.
"We've started off a step above the others and I hope to God we can make it stay like that. We have a phenomenal team and we are really starting to understand each other well.
"We'll try to start like last season and do things well. I pray we can do it again. I'm not going to say it's going to be easy but we have the team to do it."
City begin the 2012-13 campaign against Southampton on Sunday.
