Pablo Zabaleta admits this Premier League season has been very tough for those who played a lot of minutes at the 2014 World Cup.

Manchester City right-back Zabaleta and his Argentina teammates made it to the final of the FIFA tournament in Brazil last summer, where they lost 1-0 in extra-time to Germany, and he suggests those duties drained him during the current domestic campaign.

"From my point of view it has been hard after the World Cup - we only had 20 days' holiday," said Zabaleta.

"Mentally and physically it's been really tough, the Premier League is one of the most competitive in the world in terms of the physical demands.

"It seems for a lot of players who were at the World Cup this season has been very tough - not just in England. But when you look at the team, with the players we've got you expect to play much better football. We must be honest with ourselves and recognise that it was not our best season.

"Sometimes football is like that but at City it seems one disappointing season is like a disaster. Maybe it's because we've won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup, the Capital One. Now it seems like because we have not won something it's a disaster and we have to change seven or eight players, the manager. That's what people say."