Rio Ferdinand praises Man City
"My respect to Pep Guardiola, the tactical genius that he is."
Why Man City will miss David Silva so much
I wrote this last week on the creative wizardry of David Silva:
Missing man
The big
news is that there is no David Silva for City today. Not sure why at the
moment. Kyle Walker starts against his former club.
Kieran Trippier, Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli all come into the Spurs starting XI.
Kieran Trippier, Mousa Dembele and Dele Alli all come into the Spurs starting XI.
Match preview
Pep Guardiola insists his Manchester City team can get even better despite sweeping almost all comers aside this season.
City are 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League after winning their last 15 games, a record in the English top flight.
Plaudits have poured in for the stylish and resilient football City have played this term but, for Guardiola, there is no resting on laurels.
He said: "What's important is to focus on the pitch what we have to do to play better, to increase our chances and concede few. That's what we have to do.
"When I'm happy, it's not because of the result but the way we play. That's what I'm more satisfied by.
"I have the feeling we can do better - much, much better. That's what we have to try to insist in them."
The City boss is already convinced, however, that this team would have been too good for Guardiola the player.
Asked if he could have got into the side, Guardiola, who enjoyed a glittering playing career with Barcelona, said: "No way! Fernandinho is much better!"
City's current winning run may be unique in England but it does not yet match Guardiola's personal best as a manager. The Catalan won 16 league games in succession at Barca and bettered even that with Bayern Munich, winning 19 in a row.
But such figures are also of no interest to Guardiola, who face Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
He said: "The record is OK, but records stay there and one day are going to be broken.
"Statistics are statistics. It's good to write about that but with the way we play I am satisfied the most."
City are 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League after winning their last 15 games, a record in the English top flight.
Plaudits have poured in for the stylish and resilient football City have played this term but, for Guardiola, there is no resting on laurels.
He said: "What's important is to focus on the pitch what we have to do to play better, to increase our chances and concede few. That's what we have to do.
"When I'm happy, it's not because of the result but the way we play. That's what I'm more satisfied by.
"I have the feeling we can do better - much, much better. That's what we have to try to insist in them."
The City boss is already convinced, however, that this team would have been too good for Guardiola the player.
Asked if he could have got into the side, Guardiola, who enjoyed a glittering playing career with Barcelona, said: "No way! Fernandinho is much better!"
City's current winning run may be unique in England but it does not yet match Guardiola's personal best as a manager. The Catalan won 16 league games in succession at Barca and bettered even that with Bayern Munich, winning 19 in a row.
But such figures are also of no interest to Guardiola, who face Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.
He said: "The record is OK, but records stay there and one day are going to be broken.
"Statistics are statistics. It's good to write about that but with the way we play I am satisfied the most."
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