Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne believes his side will be pushed right to the end by Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.
City finished a staggering 19 points ahead of any other side at the top of the table last season, however the title race appears to be far closer this year.
Liverpool are enjoying their best ever start to a Premier League campaign, unbeaten in 17 games - the latest a 3-1 win over Manchester United at Anfield.
Their win over Jose Mourinho's side on Sunday saw them move back to the top of the table with 45 points, with Pep Guardiola's team a point behind after a 3-1 win of their own over Everton on Saturday.
And De Bruyne, who has just returned from a knee injury after six weeks out, says he has no reason to believe why Liverpool can't maintain their run.
De Bruyne didn't feature for the away side in the 0-0 draw at Anfield earlier in the season. Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images
"I don't know why they can't sustain it - I think they will go on to the end," he said.
"I'm not too worried about them (because) they will do what they do and we'll have to try to win our games and go forward. They'll try to keep pace with us and vice versa.
"But it's still early. There's no pressure. We need to do what we do."
The two sides are due to meet at the Etihad Stadium on 3rd January, a fixture that promises to be huge not only points-wise but also psychologically in the race for the title.
However, there is still a long way to go in the season and things could yet change swiftly, not least with injuries.
Liverpool have been dealt a blow with the loss of Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold in recent weeks, whilst Man City are without Benjamin Mendy and David Silva for the upcoming weeks.
De Bruyne added: "You know how it goes. You can have a week where you lose three games and everyone speaks differently.
"There is still so long to go. The amount of games can trip you up, injuries can trip you up."