Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester City’s title rivals their best is yet to come as they look to stretch their perfect Premier League start __with a seventh straight win at Tottenham (our game of the weekend) on Sunday.
Guardiola is convinced the strength and quality of his side will only continue to grow during his current three-year contract at the Etihad Stadium – and has not ruled out extending his stay __with the club.
The Spaniard was pleased with the spirit shown by his side in their midweek UEFA Champions League draw at Celtic – but believes it underlines the fact that perfection is still some way off.
Guardiola said: “In my second and third year here we will be better than we are now. The results are almost perfect but the performances will improve more over time.
“We have won most of our games because of our enthusiasm, at the start a new coach wins a lot of games, but to create something more stable and more controlled you need more time.
“In my first year at Barcelona we won the title but by my fourth year we were better than my first year. In my third year in Munich we were better than my first year.”
Guardiola admitted he made the decision to leave his two previous roles relatively abruptly, and said he would have to fulfil a number of conditions in order to extend his stay with City beyond his current deal.
“I am so happy here so I’m not just thinking about ‘will it just be three years?’, he added.
“When I decided to say goodbye to Barcelona and Bayern Munich I decided in the last year. I said ‘okay it’s enough’.
“I can stay more time or less. Less I know will happen depends on the results or if the chairman is not happy with me or our job. That always happens.
“But if they are happy with me I can stay that period and I am happy and they are happy, why not longer?”
Guardiola has acknowledged he faces a major test of his credentials at White Hart Lane on Sunday as he meets a manager whom he considers one of the best in the world. They remain very short odds to win the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino knows how to beat Guardiola’s men having famously inspired rock-bottom Espanol to a stunning win in the Catalan derby at the Nou Camp in 2009.
Guardiola said: “I don’t think he (Pochettino) is one of the best managers in England – I think he is one of the best in the world.
“I enjoy watching Tottenham play now and since last year he has been doing an amazing job.
“The way they play, he is so aggressive and he has a lot of quality players and the basis of the national team in (Eric) Dier, (Dele) Alli and Harry Kane.
“If I was a fan or a young person wanting to become a coach, I would see Tottenham and say ‘I really want to play that way’.”
Guardiola reported no new injury concerns arising from his side’s entertaining 3-3 Champions League draw with Celtic in Glasgow on Thursday.
Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany remain absent with hamstring and groin issues respectively, while Fabian Delph is also still out.