Pep Guardiola encourages Riyad Mahrez to improve despite goal-scoring run

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City's top goalscorer Riyad Mahrez can still perform at a higher level, but he has praised the winger's quality in the final third.

The 30-year-old has scored 16 goals in 27 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions this season, netting seven in the Premier League, five in the Champions League and another four in the domestic cups.

Mahrez has found the net in each of his last seven appearances for City and he would become the first player for the club since Sergio Aguero back in 2014 to score in eight successive games, if he were to make the net ripple at Norwich City on Saturday evening.

When asked by reporters if Mahrez was enjoying his best spell in a City shirt, Guardiola said: "No, last season was the best moment I found Riyad. He can do better this season to find the level last four, five, six months last season. He can do that.

"The quality of the finishing, personality of the penalties, his ability, his technique, the speed. He has this quality."

Mahrez has scored in each of his last two appearances against Norwich, which helped the Citizens cruise to 5-0 victories on both occasions, including the reverse fixture earlier this season.