Pep Guardiola hails Manchester City performance but concedes Chelsea have 'little to worry about'

'I do not think Antonio Conte has too much to be worried about what he saw today, they are nine points ahead of second, 10 points ahead of us,' Guardiola said

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are starting to click (Getty)

Pep Guardiola was delighted with Manchester City’s performance at the London Stadium tonight, but said that they still have too much to do to exert any pressure on Chelsea over the end of the season.

City are still fifth, 10 points behind Antonio Conte’s side. The Italian was in attendance to watch City’s game and Guardiola told Conte, who he rates as the best manager in the country, that he does not have anything to worry about.

“I do not think he has too much to be worried about what he saw today, they are nine points ahead of second, 10 points ahead of us” Guardiola said. “Only Chelsea can lose the Premier League. I don't think [that City can pressure Chelsea]. It's a mistake to think about Chelsea when you are 10 points behind. You have to think about winning games. We started well, but we've been inconsistent since.”

Guardiola came closer than any of Chelsea’s rivals to admitting that the title race is over for this season. “Look at how many they've lost in the last 16,” Guardiola said. “They're not going to lose four or five in the games they have left. But anything can happen in football. We are not thinking about big goals at the moment because the gap is too much.”

But Guardiola was impressed with City’s performance, especially that of their young front line led by 19-year-old Brazilian new signing Gabriel Jesus, making his first ever Premier League start.

“At Crystal Palace he learned what it means playing in away games in the Premier League and played quite good,” Guardiola said of his new signing. “He helped us a lot with the first pressing, so intense and aggressive in the first moment. He is able to fight against players who are taller than him.”

Gabriel looks to have settled into English football remarkably quickly since joining from Palmeiras last month, and looks perfectly ready for English football. “We're delighted Gabriel arrived already for the team,” Guardiola said. “He's showing us his potential and his level. He wants to be a good player, and that helps a lot. He has dreams about what he wants to do in his future career. He wants to become something in world football, and we're going to try and get it for us.”

Guardiola hailed the frontline of Gabriel, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, of whom Sterling is the oldest at 22, as the “future” of City, just as he did at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

“These three guys are the future for this club,” Guardiola said. “The average age is 20 years old. You cannot see strikers as young as those in big European clubs at the moment, so that is good for the future.”