Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has revealed that confidence is high in his first-team squad after the club's recent results in the Premier League.

Last weekend's 2-0 win over Bournemouth came seven days after Boro held Arsenal to a goalless draw in North London and ahead of their trip to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City, Karanka has predicted that his team could surprise the current league leaders.

The 43-year-old told reporters: "Pep Guardiola is showing how good he is and his team is. But we have to think about how well we played at Arsenal and what we can do. My confidence comes from the last two fixtures and how well we have been training.

"The way City played against Barcelona wasn't a surprise to me - they have amazing players. It is a mistake to think it will be easy. But if we play in our style we will have our chances."

Middlesbrough currently sit in 15th position in the league table.