Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has no doubts his squad is stronger compared to last season.

The manager has lavished £170million to revitalise the ageing squad he inherited a year ago - and now he must deliver.

“I am so grateful for what the club has done," said Guardiola.

“With all respect to the players last season, we were one of the oldest teams in the Premier League and we didn't buy full-backs for five or six years.

“We decided that we had to change the team and make it younger for the next four or five years and we have bought players to do that.

“Every club in the world, the manager and the sporting director, try to improve on what they did the previous year - and after what we have done I think we will be better.

“We have a lot of players with quality and I am happy. We had the basis of how we wanted to play last season – but now we will be stronger."