They are 13 points clear at the top of the ladder, are unbeaten in their last 12 matches and appear on a relentless charge towards another Hyundai A-League Premiership.
This couldn’t be much better for defending champions Sydney FC but try telling that to coach Steve Corica.
The Sky Blues boss has been in awe at some of the football his side has produced this season as they continue to break new ground in the competition.
But ever the perfectionist, Corica believes has squad can give more, starting with Saturday’s Sydney Derby at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
“I still think we can be better, there’s games where we’ve won but we weren’t at our best, but that’s a great sign of a good club,” Corica told reporters on Friday.
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“I still believe we can get better. We spoke a couple of weeks ago about our defence and since then we’ve had two clean sheets.
“We want to play good attacking football, score goals and win games and not concede. There’s always room for improvement.”
After Saturday’s match against the Wanderers, Sydney FC have a bye in Round 19 before their schedule is about to get crowded with the start of their AFC Champions League campaign.
Desperate to regain the Premiers’ Plate they relinquished to Perth Glory last season, Corica doesn’t want his side to take their foot off the gas as they look to get their hands on the silverware as soon as possible.
“We know where we are and we know how many points we are in front but we want to extend that as much as possible,” Corica said.
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“There’s a lot of games coming in April and the sooner we can try and wrap up the Premiership the better. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to keep picking up three points along the way and we start again on Saturday.
“The boys are breaking records as we go along now. The boys are doing a good job and we want that to continue, we don’t want to rest on our laurels and think it’s over because it’s not.
“There’s a lot of good teams chasing us and we have to be ready for what’s to come.”
Sydney FC have plenty of motivation heading into Saturday’s clash, with their only defeat in 2019/20 coming at the hands of their bitter rivals back in Round 3.
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The two clubs have endured contrasting campaigns since then, with the Sky Blues unbeaten in 12, while the Wanderers have picked up just two wins in the same time.
While supremely confident his side will exact some derby revenge, Corica knows form often counts for little in these games.
“I think the derby is always a great game, everyone is up for that. It’s a physical game,” he said.
“We remember that game [Round 3], that was probably one of our best games we’ve played with the ball, disappointed with the loss and it still hurts but that was a long time ago.
“We’ve been on a great run since then so our main focus is to get the three points and move further forward.”
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Saturday’s blockbuster Sydney Derby between the Sky Blues and the Wanderers is on track to be a sellout, with only a few tickets still remaining.
Click here to buy tickets
Saturday, 8 February 2020
Kick-off: 5pm AEDT
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Broadcast: ABC Me, FOX Sports 505
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports, ABC iView
