Manchester City’s Premier League title push has been given fresh life with two straight victories, but Pep Guardiola is uneasy about his side’s recent defensive lapses as they prepare to host Sunderland on Saturday.

City edged Leeds United 3–2 last weekend before surviving a wild 5–4 thriller at Fulham on Tuesday, a match in which they allowed three goals in just 21 minutes despite racing into a four-goal lead.

“How many shots on target did Leeds have? Three — and they scored two. Fulham had five or six,” Guardiola said on Friday. “The ratio of chances to goals we’re conceding is too high. We have to improve — of course we have to improve.

“All the goals were from the edge of the box and we didn’t have anyone there to defend it. We’ll address that… I don’t like conceding six goals in two games, but we are the league’s top scorers and we have to build from that.”

City have found the net a league-leading 32 times, with Erling Haaland leading the scoring charts on 15. But defensively they have been less convincing, shipping 16 goals — more than any other team currently in the top six.

“We need to sort these issues out without losing what makes us who we are,” Guardiola said. “We must become more solid.”

Sunderland, promoted this season and currently sixth, are also proving hard to beat. They have tasted defeat just once in their last seven outings, including a win over Chelsea and battling draws with Arsenal and Liverpool.

“In my humble opinion, they deserve to be where they are,” Guardiola added. “If a newly promoted team has momentum for three, four or five games, that can happen. But after 14 Premier League matches, to keep picking up results and stay in that position — they deserve full credit. It will be a good challenge for us.”