Pep Guardiola predicted that Manchester City is on course to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Sunday’s 3-3 draw against Tottenham stretched City’s winless run to three matches and leaves the team three points behind leaders Liverpool.
The Spurs draw was overshadowed by a late, controversial reversal of an advantage played by referee Simon Hooper, with City charged by the FA for crowding the official in the immediate aftermath.
But Guardiola insisted that he has seen enough in recent performances to suggest that his side will go on to make history come the end of the season.
“We never use these kinds of situations,” he said. “Today the motivation is to try and do better. Sometimes decisions help you, sometimes they don’t.
“I’ve learned that if you want to win something you have to do it much, much better than the opponents. When you are level, it is not going to happen. We have to do much better.
“Try not to concede goals and try to play. My feeling today is we’re going to win the Premier League. If we play at the levels that we showed against Liverpool and Tottenham, we’re going to win it again.
“People don’t believe it already after three draws but we feel we’re going to do it again – knowing that it is not easy because no team has done it yet [won four in a row].
“The difficulty is there and was last season but if you ask me today what I’m feeling we’re going to do it again.’
City does face a tough ask to make good on Guardiola’s promise given the growing number of teams in this year’s title race.