Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged his players to "relax" if they are to stand any chance of overcoming Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

The Citizens have stormed to the top of the Premier League table by winning 14 of their 15 matches, requiring three points at Old Trafford this weekend to break the all-time record for successive victories in a single campaign.

Guardiola's men have received plenty of plaudits along the way for their easy-on-the-eye football, but the Catalan coach concedes that his side have to be at their best if they are to make the short trip home with another win under their belt.

"My focus is going there, relax and knowing that if we don't do our best it will be almost impossible to beat them and try to play good football," he told reporters.

"It's an important game because it is against Man United, you can get points and the other can not but it's the same for them. It's a marathon, the Premier League. We haven't arrived at the half of the marathon so there are a lot of points to play."

City have won seven of their last 12 meetings with United - as many as they had managed in the previous 45 encounters.