Guardiola claims Chelsea and RIVER PLATE are best teams in world ahead of Man City despite 12 point Premier League lead

PEP GUARDIOLA has denied Manchester City are the best team in the world, insisting that honour goes to Chelsea and River Plate.

The Premier League champions moved 12 points clear at the top of the table on Wednesday night with a comfortable 2-0 win over Brentford.

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But Guardiola, who has already won three Prem titles since arriving in England in 2016, believes his side cannot yet consider themselves at the top of the pile.

Speaking after the match, he said: "We are not the best team in the world.

"The best team is Chelsea, who won the Champions League, or River Plate, who won in South America.

"The important thing is we won the game and in three days we go to Norwich and have to win again.

"This type of thing about who is the best, I don't care. Just be happy and try to play better every day."

Man City's win over Brentford, which was sealed by a Riyad Mahrez penalty and a strike from Kevin de Bruyne, takes them onto 60 points after just 24 league matches.

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Yet despite another impressive display from his team, Guardiola was quick to remind everyone just how difficult Brentford made it for them.

"It was a really tough game," he added.

"They defended with high pressing man to man and when you break this press they defend so deep and compact, there are no spaces.

"We had to be patient, make no mistakes. Thanks to good movement from John Stones to break the lines and a good action from Raheem for the penalty, then the second half was much better.

"It was an important victory. We knew it would be a tough game."

Man City are competing on three fronts heading into the final few months of the season.

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They are the overwhelming favourites to defend their Premier League crown, holding a huge advantage over Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Champions League knockout stages begin next week - with City up against Sporting Lisbon in the last 16.

And the English champions are also into the fifth round of the FA Cup - where they will face Championship side Peterborough.

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