Guardiola rejects \'best side in Europe\' claim

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 7, 2018) (BBC - NO USE UK) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PEP GUARDIOLA, MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, SAYING: "Thank you, but we are not the best.

To be the best you have to win the titles and we didn't win the titles to be the best team in Europe.

So the job he has done so far is in my point excellent.

People don't know how difficult it is to create a special way to play.

You need time, everybody needs time but what he has done so far, apart from the last two games - winning against Tottenham away is so difficult and at Wolves too so that can happen especially in this league.

But he is going to do that because, even in pre-season when we played against them in the Community Shield, the team was already there.

It was already his team, the way he wants to play.

He needs time, maybe they are not playing 90 minutes but when they play good 50, 60, 70, 75 minutes they are excellent." STORY: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has shrugged off Maurizio Sarri's claims that the Premier League champions are currently the best side in Europe.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday (December 7) ahead of his side's clash with Chelsea on Saturday in London, Guardiola also confirmed that Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne will miss the fixture through injury.

Aguero has missed the last two games with a muscle problem, while De Bruyne has not played since November due to a knee problem.

Champions City remain unbeaten in 15 matches and top the table with 41 points.

Sarri's side went unbeaten in their opening 12 matches but two defeats in their last three games have seen them fall behind City to sit fourth in the table with 31 points.