Pep Guardiola has warned that Manchester City are close to finding the levels at which the reigning Premier League champions have dominated English football for the past decade.
City were in inspired form against Ipswich Town on Sunday ran out with a convincing 6-0 in Portman Road. Phil Foden (2), Mateo Kovačić, Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and James McAtee were on target in East Anglia, moving the club back into the top four after starting the day in eighth.
While there are some elements of City’s game that still need to be ironed out, Guardiola said after the game that his side are doing a lot of things right as they try to secure qualification for next season Champions League.
“We are really pleased, we have returned to the things that have defined this team for the last 10 years,” said Guardiola Sky Sports after the game. “I’m really pleased with the three points and qualifying for the Champions League next season, it’s going to be so difficult.
“Much better. Maybe not our best, but closer with the consistency we have in our game. Most of them haven’t happened in the previous games we’ve won.
“The way we went without the ball, you can’t play in short spaces. Everyone with the ball was smart, faster, faster. Everyone is connected. You can’t be quick, smart and good if you’re not defensively connected.”
Guardiola admitted his mind turned to midweek in the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain before the game was even over, with City needing two positive results to qualify for the play-off round in this season’s revamped competition.
“After four or five zeros, I set my sights on Paris,” he confirmed. “We have to travel a long way. I want to say a big thank you to our fans.
“Away again, it’s not easy to get here, it’s a long way and I’m really glad to perform in such a way for them. I can go back and have a beer on the train and enjoy our moments together. thank you very much
“Whenever we go on those long trips, they join us. We will be back late and prepare for the final. We have two finals, by winning two we qualify, by winning one there is a great possibility. We have to win points because we created problems for ourselves, especially with Feyenoord.
Even the game we lost in Lisbon. But at that moment we had a lot of problems. We haven’t been able to compete the way we want to for many reasons. I hope we can continue in Paris for the next game.”
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