David Silva has claimed that Manchester City cannot afford to be below their best against the struggling teams in the Premier League as they look to keep the pressure on Chelsea.

The champions missed the chance to cut the gap on Sunday when they wasted a two-goal lead to only draw 2-2 with Burnley at the Etihad Stadium, and Silva insists that the same can happen again when they host Sunderland on New Year's Day.

"It's a cliche, sure, but as Burnley proved, every game is difficult in the Premier League and it is a very long season," the Spaniard told reporters.

"We have respect for every team we play and though we beat Sunderland 4-1 just a few weeks ago, they are a side who have proved can produce surprising results as we discovered last season.

"Any team can beat you if you're not at your best and I believe playing sides that are struggling to find form and are near the bottom of the league is worse than a run against teams near the top."

City have not lost any of their last 11 games in all competitions.