While Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he would sleep better after Saturday’s 4-1 Premier League rout of West Ham, he brushed off suggestions that his team had resumed normal service.
Erling Haaland bagged his first double in a league game since September and Savinho set up three goals in City’s victory that left them sixth in the table and two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Though City won back-to-back games for the first time since October, Guardiola said it was not a sign that their slump was over.
“No, you judge the results,” he told reporters after the crowd-pleasing win at Etihad Stadium. “We saw in many years our level. We are not at our level.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m so happy. I will sleep better until the FA Cup [City host Salford City on Jan. 11]. But you watched the games for years, we’re not at the level, come on. Against Everton we played much better than today. And we draw, big crisis, disaster.
“Of course there are positives. If you ask me the team is playing like the years, of course not.”
Kevin De Bruyne, who has been plagued with injuries this season, played the full match, a positive sign just a day after Guardiola said the Belgian’s fitness and form would be assessed before the club decides on a contract extension. De Bruyne’s deal expires in June.
The 33-year-old, who has scored two goals and provided his third assist of the season for Phil Foden’s second-half goal on Saturday, shrugged off questions about his contract status after the win.
“I don’t care,” De Bruyne told the BBC. “I am just trying to get back to my level. I feel every week I am getting better. I can go for 90 minutes now. It has been an uncomfortable couple of months with the injury.”
Guardiola gave Savinho a mixed review after he assisted Haaland’s goals and his deflected shot in the 10th minute led to an own goal by VladimÃr Coufal. The Brazil forward had scored his first goal in a City shirt in their 2-0 win over Leicester City only six days earlier.
“He’s clean in his mind. He doesn’t think nothing in his head in the past,” the manager said. “Normally many years here, the players think they deserve something special for what they have done. Big mistake.
“[But] Savio has to do everything to win,” Guardiola added. “Having a left foot in the left side, old-fashioned vintage football. Has a lot to improve, not aggressive enough without the ball, a little soft in many departments. Right now has something special for the team. I’m so happy for him and he deserves to play.”
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