Pep urges City ‘calm’ after huge victory

Pep Guardiola called for calm after in-form Manchester City wenttopofthePremierLeague by routing West Brom 5-0.

Ilkay Gundogan’s first-half brace and goals from Joao Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling eased City to victory at The Hawthorns.

City are the ninth team to top the table this season but, after an 11th straight in win all competitions, Guardiola is keeping his cool.

He said: “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 is all I’m concerned about.

“We still have 19 games to gointhisincrediblemarathon. Wearegoingtodroppointsand lose games but the important thingistobecalm,likewewere when we were 12th in the table andunderstandwhywedidn’t winthatgameandimmediately win the next one.

“This is all I’m concerned about now. It’s the Premier League, welcome, it’s so tough for everyone. You know it’s competitive but we have had a good run. Congratulations to the team, we could not leave our box for the first two or three minutes but the rest of the game was good.”

Sam Allardyce said after the defeat: “A few home truths needed to be said, it had to be done now because there’s a shortperiodoftimebeforethe next game.

“These next two games (Fulham and Sheffield United) really stand high in what we need to do. I needed to get my feelings to the players out of the way. They needed to air their views, which is fine as we are all in it together. I was disappointedintheperformance and to get it out the way means we can learn from it and we don’t see it again. I can accept defeat but not like that.”

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