‘City’s desire similar to my Barcelona team’

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s response to their alarming loss at Newcastle United 12 days ago has been emphatic with three wins, 11 goals and top spot in the Premier League regained, but nothing has resounded louder than Sunday’s 6-0 crushing of Chelsea.

City were back to their very best at the Etihad, smelling fear in a weak Chelsea defence and going for the jugular with Sergio Aguero scoring his second hattrick of the week.

As City enter a crucial period, with their Champions League last 16 tie at Schalke 04 on Feb. 20 and League Cup final against Chelsea four days later, they look to be back to the form that saw them run away with the Premier League last season.

That record-breaking campaign, with City finishing 19 points clear after scoring 106 goals, was always going to be impossible to replicate, but manager Pep Guardiola sees the determination to maintain standards that he experienced at Barcelona.

“The desire to want to do the best is incredible and similar (to that at Barca),” said the Spaniard.

“For us to get 100 points, break all records and continue to push them and push them... these guys work a lot. The only way I know is the more you win, the more you have to work.”

KEY PLAYERS

It is difficult to define which players are the key to City’s success as that designation has revolved over time -- David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho, in particular, were each sorely missed when out with injury.

But the player who feels crucial to this period of City’s progress is Bernardo Silva, the Portuguese winger who was so impressive in the crucial home win against Liverpool and who terrorised Chelsea on Sunday.

Before Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Everton, Guardiola was asked about his team lineup and said “Bernardo and 10 others” -a rare case of the Spaniard singling out a player in such fashion. “Every single game he’s been perfect, his decision making on the movement, the way he leads the game, involved in it all,” he said.

SARRI’S PAIN

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri vowed to stick with his style of football despite his side suffering their worst defeat since 1991 on Sunday.

“My target is to play my football, and not to change to other football (styles), Sarri said. “Today I didn’t see my football. At the beginning it worked, so now we need to understand the reason why at the moment it isn’t working.

“I am worried about my team and the performance - my job is always at risk.”

Sunday’s loss also saw Sarri’s Chelsea drop out of the top four in the Premier League standings.

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For us to get 100 points, break all records and continue to push them... these guys work a lot. The only way I know is the more you win, the more you have to work. PEP GUARDIOLA, Man City manager hails his side’s desire to win