Manchester City has been warned not to sit on their laurels in the Premier League title race.
The champions won their first crown under coach Pep Guardiola last season, picking up a record 100 log points, boasting the biggest win margin and scoring a record 106 goals.
This time last year, City were two points better off after 12 games.
But this time around they only lead Liverpool by two points, while the top four are separated by five points.
While Pep’s manne underlined their quality with a 3-1 derby win over Manchester United on Sunday, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss warns the title race is still very much open.
He says: “City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal - they have numbers to be champions.
“We are just two points clear, it is nothing. At the end, three points versus a contender is the same as Southampton and will be against West Ham after the international break.”
SHOWBOAT: Raheem Sterling. Photo: NIGEL RODDIS/EPA
Pep even went as far as slamming in-form winger Raheem Sterling for his stepovers late in City’s humiliation of fierce rivals United.
The Spaniard adds: “I like a lot the way Sterling played.
“The best way is to keep the ball, and he did it with Leroy [Sane] and Phil [Foden].
“In that situation, with two or three minutes left to go, they controlled it absolutely. It is better than just defending.
“But Sterling made some movements with the legs that we can avoid. But he’s young and he is going to improve.”