If this is Pep Guardiola’s last season at Man City, he looks hell-bent on ending with a bang

An uncompromising Guardiola has warned his players they will not challenge for the Premier League title unless they improve.

Despite an eighth successive home league win, Guardiola was still unhappy and, in an impassioned address, told his players that their positional play would have to get better if they are serious about winning a seventh title in 10 seasons.

“The way we play with the ball we have to improve, otherwise it will not be enough to arrive in March, April to be contenders to win the title,” the City manager said.

“I want to be honest with myself. I said to the players, ‘So Merry Christmas for everyone’. But it will not be enough if we don’t improve.

“Defensively we are improving. We are visualising it with the ball. But the way you attack depends on how the opponents defend and you have to be in the right spots and positions to be more fluid, and we were not. 

“Don’t misunderstand me, I am delighted, happy and these guys are top, they follow us and give their life.

“But if they want to reach the next step, if they [opponents] play in a diamond like today or five at the back or four, there are spaces in different ways and you have to be in the right spots. The positional game will define the team. Today it was not good.”

City allowed a 2-0 lead at home to Leeds to slip last month, before Phil Foden scored a winner in stoppage time, and Guardiola said he feared the game against West Ham could have gone the same way. 

“The Leeds game was 2-0 like today. It’s quite similar. If they had scored to make it 2-1, West Ham would have made it 2-2. Trust me. I’m not a magician to know the future but it could have happened because we were not in the right places. And we have to come back to play the way we defined that team for many years.”

Guardiola said City had recovered the “spirit and aggression” that was missing last season and believes they can finish on top, so long as they do what he asks.

“We will be there, if they follow me,” he said. “We will be there but we have to improve. I know the level in Europe, in the Premier League, I know Arsenal and the other teams and how tough they are.

“It is not enough. The spirit is there. Last season we did not have the spirit or aggression or hunger – all the attributes they need.

“It is not about the highlights and how good the actions are, there is something that comes from inside and we recovered that since the Club World Cup.”

City’s captain Bernardo Silva also came in for a rare critique from Guardiola. “Bernie is my weakness. He’s top, but today Bernie had to play better. Today I’m not happy with Bernie,” he said. “He’s my weakness, my favourite one, but today I’m not happy with him. He knows exactly what we need to play better. He’s reliable, can play in five positions and that is extraordinary, but today he didn’t play good.”

Guardiola also stressed that it will be crucial to get midfield sentry Rodri back to full fitness, plus other injured players including Jeremy Doku, Mateo Kovacic and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Omar Marmoush is also missing due to the Egypt forward’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.