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The last thing I’m thinking of is the table: Pep Guardiola

Manchester City stormed to the top of the English Premier League yesterday morning (Singapore time) with a 5-0 demolition of West Bromwich Albion to extend their winning streak in all competitions to 11 games.

It is the first time the Citizens have finished a day top, making them the ninth team to achieve the feat this season, the joint-most since the 1986/87 campaign.

However, manager Pep Guardiola played down his team's lofty position, saying: "The last thing I'm thinking of is the table.

"Now I want to come back home safely, have a few days off and Sheffield United (City's next match) is all I'm concerned about.

"We still have 19 games to go in this incredible marathon.

"We are going to drop points and lose games but the important thing is to be calm, like we were when we were 12th in the table and understand why we didn't win that game and immediately win the next one.

"This is all I'm concerned about now."

In the absence of star playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, who faces several weeks out with a muscle injury, Ilkay Guendogan again shone with a brace.

He has now scored nine goals this season, his best-ever haul. Six of those strikes have come in City's last 10 matches.

Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling also found the net for City.

On Guendogan, Guardiola said: "Gundo is a guy who has an incredible sense of goal.

"It is not just knowing the right time to arrive at the box, it is the right second.

"This is the most difficult thing - not to arrive one metre before, or one metre later, but at exactly the right time, and Gundo has this sense.

"And it's not just that - with his finishing too he has this way to control the ball, slow down and take a second to compose himself and see what happens, and be clinical."

Another Citizen who has had an impressive season is fullback Cancelo, who laid on Guendogan's first goal.

Said the German: "(He) has the ability to offer something a little bit different in the role.

"He gets a lot of touches and he has quality. I knew this, that's why I made the run and the ball was perfect.

"He's doing well, especially the last few weeks."

City's form prompted former England striker Gary Lineker to tweet: "A Man City side playing their best football again, with a strong defence, is a frightening thought for the rest of the league... and Europe."

West Brom remain second from bottom on 11 points, six points from safety.

They have conceded 22 goals in their last five home league games, the most since Aston Villa in December 1935 (22).

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