"Even when eight points in front I was not relaxed, " said the City boss. "It is better to lead by eight points. You can drop points and still be there. When you are eight points behind you can't drop points. "He did question the fluidity of his side in recent games. "We have struggled in the last two games, " he added. Finally on the game with Spurs, Guardiola said: "It's not about [overturning to the defeat to] United. Not about the table. Spurs have been tough for all the years [I have been here]. "Asked if Erling Haaland needs to adapt, Guardiola added: "We have played really good with Erling. To play better we need to provide balls for him or the other strikers as much as possible.

Let’s be realistic, City have dominated the domestic game for many years and they are not going to win every game in every competition they play. All teams have a bad run at some time. So why the dip in form and what’s gone wrong? City have had so much success in recent seasons by moving the ball quickly, with precise passing, pressing the opposition and fabulous movement. Despite putting four past Chelsea in the FA Cup, that has been missing for the past few games, with a number of players suffering a drop in form. Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo and Kevin de Bruyne have all looked below par. The next three home games could define our season.

"When you are behind, you cannot drop points, " he said. "It's better to be ahead because you can. The competition will dictate if they stay in front. They have been solid, good in every department and better than us so far. "But there are many games to play. Our focus is on the next one and we are thinking about how to improve and controlling the things we can control. "That is what big teams do. "Mike Minay, BBC Radio ManchesterPep Guardiola has just spoken to the media ahead of Manchester City's game with Spurs on Thursday. Here are the key lines from the City boss:Kevin De Bruyne is back in training and in contention to play in the game.

Andy: We don't need an overhaul or to panic, every year there is a team that needs a rebuild. Some City fans are spoilt with our own success. I've even seen reports about dropping Haaland. We need to relax and trust Pep again, when we panic about changes, he will listen to prove a point. Image source, EPAPep Guardiola admits "it's better to be ahead" as he contemplates an eight-point gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. Manchester City have been the side at the top of the table in close title races of recent years but find themselves as the hunters at the halfway point of this season. With Thursday's game against Spurs a chance to trim the Gunners' advantage, Guardiola says he is plotting a route back to the summit.

Manchester City - BBC SportWe asked for your opinions on what business Manchester City need to do between now and the end of the January transfer window. Here are some of your comments:Alfie: I think we need a strong centre-back to cover for Laporte and Dias, someone like Gvardiol from Leipzig. I think we also need a young midfielder like Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. I also think we need cover in the full-back areas, someone like Theo Hernandez from AC Milan or maybe Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen.

 (Telegraph - subscription required), externalWant more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip columnNigel Rothband,  The Man City Show podcast, externalA lot has been said over the past few days about that 'offside' equaliser at Old Trafford on Saturday. When you study what the offside law states, it’s very difficult to understand how that goal was given. Almost all experts, pundits and fans have said the same thing. Manchester City were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in midweek and then lost the derby in the Premier League at the weekend. During the course of those two matches, they had just one shot on target.

The midfielder sat out of training yesterday. John Stones and Ruben Dias are back and "in contention". He chose not to reflect on the derby defeat to Manchester United, or the VAR decision for the Bruno Fernandes goal saying: "It's over, it's in the past. It's not going to change anything. "After back-to-back defeats Guardiola says the "mentality of this group of players is not in question". Guardiola says he's "never been relaxed" about a title race.

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