Pep Guardiola described his players as "animals" after they extended their advantage at the top of the Premier League with victory over Sheffield United.

City claimed a fifth 1-0 league victory of the season as Gabriel Jesus' early goal and another impressive defensive performance clinched the points.

Afterwards, Guardiola revealed he expected nothing less than a difficult match against Chris Wilder's disciplined Blades.

He was delighted with the way his players stuck to the task of keeping their opponents at arm's length throughout.

He told Sky Sports: "So difficult [to] win, like we knew it [would be], an incredibly huge victory for us.

"It's amazing after this run of victories in a row, 12 in all competitions, still the players run and fight like animals.

"We concede one [chance] at the end, it was dangerous, but it's so difficult an opponent. We knew it.

"Every time we play against them, we struggle a lot but we concede few [chances] and this is important."

12 in a row!! Still a long way to go pic.twitter.com/p3U7CikX3a

— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) January 30, 2021

City moved four points clear of second-placed neighbours Manchester United in the Premier League with their win over Sheffield United on Saturday.

That a game against the team currently propping up the division was so tricky speaks volumes about how big an achievement it is to hit the summit, Guardiola believes.

He added: "With these weather conditions when we woke up, we said, 'Today, forget about it, it will be one of the toughest games of the season.' And it was.

"The team who is now top of the league [played against] the team who is bottom of the league and we didn't know what is going to happen.

"The team was incredibly committed, didn't make mistakes, they were so focused in the second balls and long balls.

"We won a lot of duels and we lacked a little bit to create chances but it's so difficult because they defend [with] 10 players, defending all the space inside, they allow you to go outside so it's not easy.

"And after that, with the ball, they know exactly what they have to do. Chris and his team they are a long time together, they know exactly what to do.

"That is the real proof that the Premier League is incredibly tough: the team at the bottom of the league is this team. This team showed that everything has to be won, there's nothing given."