Jose Mourinho accepts that Tottenham will have to produce the perfect display if they are to end Manchester City's record winning streak in Saturday's Premier League clash.
City beat Swansea City 3-1 in the FA Cup on Wednesday to advance to the last eight of the FA Cup and make it 15 victories in a row in all competitions.
That is the longest-such streak of any club in English top-flight history, a run that has seen City score 40 goals and concede just five.
Spurs were the last team to beat the league leaders, winning 2-0 in November's reverse fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Mourinho is after a repeat performance at the Etihad.
"We beat them that day because we played so, so well and that is the only way any team can beat Man City," he said.
"You have to play very, very well. You make a defensive mistake and they kill you. They are a team that wins matches, a team that scores goals and a team that doesn't concede.
"You have to play the perfect match, like we did when we played them here at home. We played the perfect match and of course their level of confidence was not the same then."
While Tottenham have struggled for consistency of late, losing four of their last five games in all competitions, Guardiola's men have gone from strength to strength.
City have also won seven of their last 10 home league meetings with Tottenham, but Guardiola insists that record - and his side's incredible form - is no advantage ahead of this latest meeting.
"We are not unbeatable," he said. "The 15 games in a row does not help us be 2-0 up before the start of a game.
"I said many times it's nice, it's good, it's helped us where we are, in the EFL Cup, the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Premier League - winning helps us but no more than that.
"We lost the last game against Tottenham because they were better. They were better in many aspects. Spurs' quality showed more than our qualities and that is why they beat us. "It is a strong team and we have to do better to beat them."
KEY PLAYERS
Manchester City - Ilkay Gundogan
Gundogan scored twice in City's impressive 4-1 win at Liverpool last weekend and now has seven goals in eight Premier League games in 2021 - the most of any player in the division.
The Germany international, whose previous seven goals in the top flight came over a period of 62 matches, was voted the Premier League Player of the Month for January and will be looking to add to his tally this weekend.
Tottenham - Harry Kane
Kane marked his surprise return from injury last weekend with a goal in Tottenham's 2-0 win over West Brom, which he followed that up with another in the dramatic 5-4 FA Cup last-16 loss to Everton in midweek.
No player in the Premier League has scored the opening goal in more games this season than the England captain (six), with Spurs winning four and drawing two of those.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- Since Mourinho took over, Tottenham have won both of their Premier League meetings with Man City, though both were in matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (in February and November 2020).
- Spurs are looking to win away against both Manchester clubs in a single top-flight season for the first time since 1959-60, following their 6-1 win at Old Trafford earlier this term.
- Mourinho's side have won just one of their last six Premier League away games (D3 L2), having won four in a row before that. However, they have not lost consecutive away league games since a run of three in October 2019 under Mauricio Pochettino.
- Tottenham have not won an away league game against the team starting the day top of the table since their first such match in the Premier League back in November 1992 (2-0 at Blackburn Rovers), drawing three and losing 21 times since.
- After winning just three of his first 17 matches against Guardiola in all competitions, Spurs boss Mourinho has won four of his last seven (D1 L2). Mourinho is looking to become the first manager to win three away games against Guardiola in all competitions, having won with Real Madrid in 2012 and Man Utd in 2018.