Only respect and admiration for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team, Pep Guardiola

After the thumping 5-2 victory over

Ralph Hasenhuttl

’s side,

Pep Guardiola

revealed that

gave

a hard time at Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens are sitting top of the

table with a 14-point advantage after their run of 21 winning streak was done by a loss to

on Sunday.

Before Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez’s braces and Ilkay Gundogan’s goal, the Saints made it hard for the City to control the game.

The possibility of the Saints facing a third 9-0 loss in the extend of two years was annoying Guardiola in his pre-match conference. Hasenhuttl’s men had dominance during the first 25 minutes of the match before the Belgian international met the net despite how the game was run.

"

The first 20 to 25 minutes, they were the best team we’ve faced here,

" Guardiola said post-match. "

Only respect and admiration for Ralph [Hasenhuttl’s] team.

"We suffered a lot to control them. We could not do good build-up because we could not contact with the holding midfielders. They were brilliant and today was won why the quality of the players we have.

"A tough game but one more victory. One game more we are 14 clear, nine games to play so Fulham - next one." 

Should City win six more games out of the nine remaining ones, they can secure the title.

They are set to take on

on Saturday which will be their last league match before the international break.

Concentration will then be focused on the

match against

and the FA Cup battle against

.

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