Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has once again praised the efforts of his side after their hard fought 2-1 victory over West Ham on Sunday.

It is the second time in three matches that City have come from behind to win, as they extended their winning run to 13 Premier League games and sit top of the table by a large margin.

Guardiola’s side look unstoppable this season, and despite grinding out results in recent times, it doesn’t necessarily reflect how dominant they have been.

Teams have set up to defend in numbers against City, and the Spanish boss has so far managed to respond by bombarding the opposition with attacks.

“I learned to attack a bit differently,” said Guardiola.

“Normally we don’t play with two strikers and two wingers. Maybe to attack this kind of defence it is much better.

“They didn’t want to play. When they lost the ball, they didn’t press. They just went back with 10 players in the box. It has happened the last three games. It is almost impossible.

“With two strikers in the box, we can play the same way, with the same patience and the same quality. It is good news for me in the future.

“How we attacked in the second half was much better.”

Guardiola also admitted he will go into this week’s Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk with a strong team, saying he wants to win the game despite having already qualified for the next stage.

It’s a risk when considering the Manchester derby is four days later, but the manager hopes that his side will not be affected by injuries.

“Hopefully no-one will have injuries. I said to the players the guy who doesn’t want to play in Donetsk, let me know please,” he said.

“It is a big opportunity to win 18 points from 18 points. Kevin [de Bruyne] will have two or three days off, he is suspended. The best way to prepare for the United game is by playing good.”
[Quotes via BBC Sport]