Manchester City attacker Riyad Mahrez says they must keep their foot on the accelerator after victory at Newcastle.

The reigning champions will head into Christmas sitting three points clear of second-placed Liverpool and six better off than Chelsea in third following Sunday's 4-0 win at lowly Newcastle after both their closest rivals could only manage draws.

It was City's eighth successive league victory and their 34th in 2021 – a new record for a calendar year, beating the Reds' tally of 33 in 1982 – but Mahrez knows there is no room for complacency.

He told the club's official website: “We are in very good form. I don't know if it's our best form, but we are in very good form and we have to keep going.

“We have to not drop it because at this moment in the year, there are a lot of games and it's difficult, everyone can drop points and we have to keep focused.

“We try to be consistent, otherwise you wouldn't win leagues and trophies. The most important thing is to be consistent.

“Sometimes it's not easy, but we have to try to be focused in every game and give everything because we know we have the quality to arrive there at the end, so we have to keep going.

“We're in a very good moment and we have to keep it up and keep going."