Manchester City’s players are using last season’s struggles as fuel for their nine-game unbeaten streak, according to Pep Guardiola. After finishing third in the Premier League and without a trophy, the team are aiming to avoid a repeat of the worst campaign since the Spaniard’s first in charge.

City visit Aston Villa on Sunday seeking to extend their good form, helped by Erling Haaland’s run of scoring in his past 12 appearances for club and country. “The players came to me a month ago and said: ‘Pep we don’t want to live the season like we lived last season,’” Guardiola said. “They are the first. They want to perform properly. They have pride.

“We were empty. Drained. For the success of the past, for the injuries, for many things. When you realise that life cannot always be perfect, and what you have to do to get better, we’ll be a good team. We are not consistent for 95 minutes yet but in the bad moments we are quite stable and create some good moments.”

Haaland’s gluttonous streak has moved him to 11 Premier League goals for the season, aided by playing the most minutes of any City player. The...