Guardiola believes Manchester City is much better than last season

Pep Guardiola is understandably delighted at Manchester City's progress.

Speaking after City demolished Watford 6-0 at Vicarage Road to go top of the Premier League, Guardiola didn't hesitate to draw comparisons and admitted the Citizens are significantly better than last season. Sergio Aguero tallied a hat-trick in front of Elton John on Saturday, leaving them unbeaten through their first five league games of the campaign and with 15 goals from their last three matches in all competitions.

"I am delighted, so happy," Guardiola said, according to the Guardian's Paul Doyle. "There are many things we are doing now that we didn't do last season."

Guardiola declared: "Last season there was new enthusiasm with a new manager and new players and everybody expecting (a lot). Now we are more stable, we know each other better. And the new players have come to help us be better. The fundamentals of what we are the same but the difference is we have a good balance, good players and good spirit.

"Day by day I say thank you to the club - to all the people involved for buying these players. All managers have their own good ideas of how to play but without these players that we have right now, it's more complicated."

Watford had yet to lose this season until City's invasion. The result marked an improvement on the Citizens' 5-0 victory at Vicarage Road last season, and it left the Hornets devastated, as they had a chance to be first in the top flight of English football for the first time since 1982-83.