Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed that his side must be wary of Leeds United and that thrashing Sam Allardyce's Whites is 'not in the reality'.
The Citizens retook their position at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday with a 3-0 win over West Ham in which striker Erling Haaland scored his record-breaking 35th league goal of the season.
But with Leeds set for the fabled 'new manager bounce' thanks to the sacking of Javi Gracia and the introduction of 68-year-old Allardyce, Guardiola admitted that people should not always expect his side to run out to a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes.
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"I said after Arsenal when everybody said it's over, it is not over and yesterday Arsenal prove it, they will not give up," Guardiola told Manchester Evening News after their win over West Ham.
"I know well Mikel [Arteta] how competitive he is and a few players, they are a historical team and they will be there. Every game we have a question, like Fulham. We were quite stable and at the end we create enough chances to win the game.
"We have an opportunity on Saturday to go four points ahead before they play and after we will see what happens in Champions League, Goodison Park. Game by game.
"We spoke just one sentence before we arrive and before we come here so everyone is expecting the Arsenal game and after we have a bad game. West Ham have exceptional players, they have a tough season, but always we struggle a lot against West Ham. It wouldn't be an exception.
"Today was windy, cold, everyone was a bit down. And the people expect City here, eight or nine games in a row, that we are going to win 4-0 after 20 minutes. This is completely, completely not in the reality. Leeds will be quite similar. I cannot imagine the game in Goodison Park. I saw the game how they played at Leicester in the front foot, how aggressive they are so will be so difficult.
"For Arsenal as well [to play] Newcastle and Brighton are not easy. These kind of games, is important to be stable in your mind and be patient in the quality we have. In the end we can do, five games to go, it's in our hands, we have to try and do it."
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