Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes his team have learned from the mistakes of last season after maintaining their superb start to the new campaign.

City beat Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday to move clear at the top of the Premier League with three wins from as many games.

Pellegrini’s men have scored eight goals and conceded none, playing with pace and fluidity in attack and strength in defence. After last season’s disappointing runners-up finish to Chelsea, City are looking formidable.

Pellegrini said: “This team, in the last three seasons, has been the team that always plays the best football but we made a lot of mistakes in games that seemed easy (last season).

“Normally we are a team that goes forward, plays attractive football, tries to score goals and doesn’t change the style. Even in the worst moments of last season I continued thinking in the way we must play and we will continue.

“But if you want to be an offensive team and to score goals it is very important to know how to defend, sometimes with 11 players, sometimes eight, sometimes five.

“The back line have played very well in the three games. All of them are in a high performance. There are a lot of things that all together make us a good team at this moment.”

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City were tested by the Toffees but broke through with a goal from Aleksandar Kolarov on the hour. Substitute Samir Nasri made victory certain in the 88th minute. Pellegrini downplayed the strong message to rivals that his side’s performances might be sending out.

He said: “We are not clear about that. We are just clear about winning the next game. Now we have won we must think about Watford. What other the teams think about our team is not our problem.”

Everton were watched by River Plate defender Ramiro Funes Mori and manager Roberto Martinez admitted a deal for the 24-year-old could be close.

Meanwhile, club director Jon Woods insisted they are standing firm over John Stones and will not be selling him. Woods said: “I won’t sell him, Bill (Kenwright) won’t sell him, because there aren’t many days to go.”