Pep Guardiola struck a careful balance between praise and caution after Manchester City’s commanding 3–0 win over West Ham United on Saturday lifted them provisionally to the top of the Premier League table.

While pleased with the result, Guardiola made it clear his players cannot afford complacency. “I said to the players, ‘Merry Christmas, but it will not be enough if you do not improve,’” the City manager explained. “It’s good to be there at the top, but we have to improve our game.”

Erling Haaland scored twice, with Tijjani Reijnders also on the scoresheet, as City claimed their eighth consecutive league victory — a run that has seen them steadily close the gap on Arsenal. Yet Guardiola, ever the perfectionist, was quick to temper his praise by highlighting areas for improvement.

“I’m happy — we are in a good position and close to the top of the league,” he said. “But what will define this team is how we improve. Today it was clear we were not always in the right positions, and we have to be better.

“We will be there. If they follow me, we’ll be there. I know the level of this Premier League, I know Arsenal, I know the other teams and how tough they are. This is not enough.”

City’s final home match of 2025 at the Etihad Stadium represented a marked improvement on last season’s end-of-year struggles, when they suffered a 2–1 derby defeat to Manchester United and drew 1–1 with Everton in their final two home fixtures of 2024.

Guardiola believes the team’s edge has returned after a dip last season, praising a renewed sense of hunger and intensity. “The spirit is there,” he said. “We didn’t have that last season — the aggression, the hunger, all these attributes the team needs. It comes from inside.”

The City boss reserved special praise for Haaland, whose brace took him to 104 goals in just 114 Premier League appearances, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of 103 goals in the competition — achieved in less than half the number of games.

“Thanks, Erling,” Guardiola added. “I always have to thank him for the goals.”

Guardiola also highlighted strong performances from Phil Foden and academy graduate Nico O’Reilly, but reiterated concerns over technical sharpness and chance creation. Despite City registering 19 shots to West Ham’s eight, he felt they failed to fully capitalise.

“The way we played with the ball has to improve,” Guardiola concluded. “Otherwise, it will not be enough in March or April if we want to be contenders for the title.”