Riyad Mahrez reveals Pep Guardiola training chat that helped spark Man City goal streak

Riyad Mahrez has worked with Pep Guardiola to improve his attacking threat as he looks to add to his best ever tally of goals in a season.

Two goals in the Manchester derby — the first a sumptuously weighted half-volley that deflected in off Harry Maguire and the second blasted in off David de Gea's face after a perfectly-timed run broke the offside trap — took Mahrez to 21 goals for the season. That is his best ever haul with at least 13 games to go this season; he's averaging a goal every 96 minutes in all competitions.

Guardiola has spoken warmly about the character of the player to step up in big moments, including when solving the team's long-running issue — converting penalties. At the same time, the manager believes Mahrez can still improve his overall game and holds his form in the run-in last year as the benchmark for the winger.

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Mahrez, 31, does not consider himself to be the finished article and has been working with the coaching staff to enhance his threat in front of goal. But he is also grateful to the manager for giving him some artistic license in the final third.

“I always think I need to add things to my game. Pep worked with me a lot as well to do this, to improve more in my runs, to be more in the box and to be where you can score goals," he said.

"He always gives us attacking players the freedom in the last 30 metres. You can do whatever you want. He obviously gives you the information of where he thinks the spaces are but at the end it is about you. The pitch belongs to us and he will never stop you from dribbling or anything else.

“I think I have grown as a player a lot and as a person as well [at City]. I have achieved