Guardiola plays down 4-1 win over West Ham, saying squad needs improvement

MANCHESTER, England : While Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he would sleep better after Saturday's 4-1 Premier League rout of West Ham United, he brushed off suggestions that his team were back to being the "old Manchester City".

Erling Haaland bagged his first double in a league game since September and Savinho set up three goals in City's victory that left them sixth in the table and two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Though City won back-to-back games for the first time since October, Guardiola said it was not a sign that their slump was over.

"No, you judge the results," he told reporters after the crowd-pleasing win at Etihad Stadium. "We saw in many years our level. We are not at our level.

"Don't misunderstand me. I'm so happy. I will sleep better until the FA Cup (City host Salford City on Jan. 11). But you watched the games for years, we're not at the level, come on. Against Everton we played much better than today. And we draw, big crisis, disaster.

"Of course there are positives. If you ask me the team is playing like the years, of course not."

Often-injured Kevin De Bruyne played the full match, a positive sign just a day after Guardiola said the Belgian's fitness and form would be assessed before the club decides on a contract extension. De Bruyne's current deal expires in June.

The 33-year-old, who has scored two goals and provided his third assist of the season on Phil Foden's second-half goal on Saturday, shrugged off questions about his contract status after the win.

"I don't care," De Bruyne told the BBC. "I am just trying to get back to my level. I feel every week I am getting better. I can go for 90 minutes now. It has been an uncomfortable couple of months with the injury."

Guardiola gave