PEP Guardiola heaped praise on the way Saints served it up to Manchester City and added: “I have only respect and admiration for Ralph’s team.”

The City boss eventually saw his side ease to a 5-2 victory at Etihad Stadium, thanks to braces from Kevin de Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez, as well as a goal from Ilkay Gundogan.

But James Ward-Prowse’s penalty and a second-half strike from Che Adams ensured the runaway Premier League leaders did not have it all their own way.

Speaking about Saints in his post-match press conference, Guardiola said: “The first 20-25 minutes, they were the best team we have faced here all season – home or away.

“I have only respect and admiration for Ralph’s team and the way they play.

“We suffered a lot to control them. We could not do good build-up because we did not contend with the holding midfielders.

“They were brilliant. It was a tough game and an incredible victory.”

Asked on Sky Sports what Saints were doing to cause his side problems, former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola replied: “Because they are so good.

“They put a lot of players in the middle - Vestergaard and Bednarek. With Ward-Prowse, they have the quality to attract, with his passes, our players in the middle and after they found behind the two wingers and the strikers – they do it really, really well.

“But of course, they exposed a lot and every time you regain the ball you have a chance to run and make a counter-attack.”

He added: “Without the ball they have a process to play incredibly well.”