Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season has left Pep Guardiola believing that his side are capable of beating anybody.
A remarkable opening to the 2017-18 campaign has seen City surge to the top of the Premier league table, while also progressing in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Napoli have been unable to derail the Blues bandwagon, with confidence now so high around the Etihad Stadium that there is feeling they can overcome any opponent, any time, any place.
Guardiola told reporters ahead of a home date with struggling West Ham: “With the confidence, our players believe they can do it until the end.
“Liverpool at home, winning at Stamford Bridge, at Napoli, against Shakhtar, gives you confidence. Of course, confidence on its own doesn’t work, but you have to see it, believe it, feel it.
“We now have the feeling – wherever we go, whoever we play – that we are capable of winning. And that is the first step to arrive at the end of a competition and to fight to win the title.”
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Guardiola has enjoyed a glittering coaching career to date, collecting numerous major honours during spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Even he, though, has never enjoyed such a stunning start to a season, with City currently on a record-breaking 19-match winning streak.
“When you achieve these types of records, then you know what the target is to break them again,” added Guardiola.
“It’s so important to break these little records. It doesn’t count for the title, but it counts for the way we play.
“It means that, in the good moments, we win comfortably and, in the bad moments, we keep going.”
After facing the Hammers, City do have some testing encounters approaching.
A midweek outing in the Champions League will see them head to Shakhtar Donetsk, before returning to domestic competition with a derby against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
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