Pep Guardiola insists Bournemouth are best team Manchester City have played this season in dig at Manchester United

PEP GUARDIOLA rubbed salt into the wound of Manchester United after victory on Saturday.

The Spaniard had just wiped the floor with Bournemouth with dazzling football and four goals.

It was a performance that would strike fear into his Premier League title rivals, with the goals coming from Kevin De Bruyne, Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan.

But Pep still insisted that Eddie Howe’s side were the BEST team Manchester City faced this season – just one week after the derby win over rivals United.

He said: “Bournemouth were the best team we have played until now, they could create more problems when they had the ball than other teams who played long balls.

“They wanted to play and our high pressing in the first half was not perfect.

“We did well and could use a lot of counter-attacks, and after that the quality of our play from strikers and midfielders made the difference.

“I am very pleased as I know very well about the team we were playing against. Josh King is a tough tough striker and their wingers and full-backs are so fast, especially Adam Smith.

“But we played seriously, like a small team when we didn’t have the ball.

"People are so proud when these famous people are running so hard without the ball. With the ball, the quality of the players made the difference.

"Bournemouth are the best team we have played in our five matches, so I am very pleased.”

Guardiola says playing like a “small” team and tracking back without the ball is the key to his team being able to play well.

He said: "It all starts with a humble attitude to try to win the ball back like the smallest teams in the world.”

And it meant an eighth straight win for Guardiola, the best ever start City have had to a season.

Guardiola said: “Numbers are numbers and one record will be beaten by another. It is important that we won a game after a Champions League game with three days preparation instead of four.

“When you play a European game it is so demanding physically and mentally, to come back again is not easy.

"I have to say that I am so happy. But I know that in the future I am going to lose games.