Manchester City's currently riding high atop the Premier League standings, but Pep Guardiola knows that every match is another opportunity for his side to slip.
The Sky Blues' manager pointed to Saturday's scrappy 1-0 win over visiting Sheffield United as proof that the Premier League is challenging in a manner that no other circuit can claim, with his side only producing a handful of clear chances despite controlling play.
That City are comfortably in first place and had to work to put away the last-place Blades shows the quality of England's top flight, according to Guardiola.
“I woke up this morning, went out of my building and I saw the freezing cold and wind and I said, ‘Today will be the toughest game we are going to play this season,’” he said.
“When you see that Sheffield United are bottom you realize [why] the Premier League is the toughest league in the world."
A highly organized Blades side shocked City's rivals Manchester United 2-1 last week, paving the way for the Sky Blues to claim sole ownership of the top spot. Although Sheffield boss Chris Wilder wasn't able to pull off another miracle in Manchester on Saturday, Guardiola was full of praise for his counterpart after the match.
“We struggle every season against them — the organization [of Wilder’s] team is outstanding. We played really well, we didn’t create much but we conceded few [opportunities] again. I am grateful to my players.”
City's 44 points are good for first place with United sitting three points behind, although Guardiola's men hold a game in hand.