Pep Guardiola realises he cannot stop his Manchester City players dreaming about winning the quadruple.

But the City boss will urge them to think game by game in their pursuit of an unprecedented clean sweep.

City, who have already won the Carabao Cup this season, face key games in the other three competitions they can win in the coming week.

The reigning champions can return to the top of the Premier League with victory over Cardiff at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. They then face Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday and Tottenham in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday.

Guardiola said: "I'm not in the minds of my players and the fans to tell them what to think.

"If they want to dream and think about winning everything I'm not a guy to say anything.

"Of course we are there but I said to the players, 'Forget about it, don't think too much. In one week or three days we can lose all three titles, that's the reality'.

"'I know in your heads we can win all the titles, but for now it's Cardiff, then recovery and go to spend four or five days in London to prepare for Brighton or Tottenham'."

Guardiola is repeatedly asked by the media about City's quadruple prospects but he continues to play them down.

He said: "I said many times ask me at the end of April.

"Why should you (talk about) the quadruple when in this country – a legendary country – it has never happened before. Legendary teams like Liverpool, the period (of Manchester United) with Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, Arsene Wenger with Arsenal – no one did it. So why should we do it?"

City are involved in a tight battle with Liverpool for the Premier League title.

The Reds claimed a vital victory with a last-minute winner against Tottenham on Sunday. It was their third success of the season as a result of a goal in the 90th minute or later.

Guardiola said: "Once maybe it is luck, or the second time it is luck, but to happen three or four or five times it is because they have something special.

"I'm not wasting my time thinking, 'They were lucky here, there and everywhere'. That doesn't give you an extra point."