The conversation also turned to City’s main rivals, Arsenal, who have finally usurped the Manchester side to claim the throne. Having watched City win four consecutive titles between 2021 and 2024, Mikel Arteta’s side are now the ones with the targets on their backs.
Hart, who was part of the City sides that failed to defend their titles in the 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons, warned that the Gunners are about to experience a level of scrutiny they have never faced before.
Reflecting on his own experiences during his peak years at the Etihad, Hart admitted that success can often lead to a false sense of security that is quickly shattered by the realities of the Premier League. “I was walking on water at that time. I actually thought I was ‘that guy’,” Hart admitted.
He added: “And football finds a way, really quickly, of showing you that you’re not. And when things started to unravel, which they will in any season, they seemed to really unravel because all of a sudden you’re under that kind of champion scrutiny.”