Pep pits wits against Pellegrini as City hit new heights

Pep Guardiola faces Manuel Pellegrini -- his predecessor as Manchester City manager -- this weekend with his defending Premier League champions on course to smash even more records.

While City go to West Ham with only a two-point lead at the top of the table, Guardiola's side has nevertheless looked even more impressive than they were 12 months ago.

The statistics bear out that analysis, with City averaging exactly three goals per game and on course to better last season's Premier League records of 100 points and 106 goals for the whole campaign.

In that context, perhaps the fact that Guardiola this week claimed he is a better manager now than at any stage of his career with previous clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich should not have come as a surprise.

"Now, I feel being here I am a better manager too, because I learned to handle this incredible league in many circumstances," said Guardiola, speaking at Liverpool University.

"It is the toughest one, for the amount of games, for the weather and the referees saying: 'play (on), play (on), play (on)' and the competitors, there are many. It is the only country that five or six (teams) can win the Premier League."
- International challenge -
===========================
"If I have a chance and some international team wants to come 'knock knock' we will see."