Pep Guardiola said Manchester City "are not the best in the world" despite them extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points following victory over Brentford.
Riyad Mahrez scored his eighth goal in seven games as they moved further away from second-placed Liverpool, who play Leicester on Thursday.
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But Guardiola said he "does not care" for "stupid things" like praising his side for being better than the rest.
"In so many ways I'm impressed with [the players'] attitude," he added. "They still have the desire in every game to do their jobs.
"Normally they are being complimented, being praised - 'you are the best team in the world' - these stupid things. You can be confused, but we are still normal.
"We are not the best team in the world. The best team in the world is Chelsea, the best team is Palmeiras. We are not the best and I don't care."
European champions Chelsea, who currently sit third in the table, play Brazilian side Palmeiras in the Club World Cup Final on Saturday.
That is a trophy Manchester City have never competed for because they have not won the Champions League in order to qualify.
City were deserved winners against Brentford despite a tough opening. Mads Roerslev's rash tackle on Raheem Sterling then presented Mahrez with the opportunity to score and he sent David Raya the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Kevin de Bruyne doubled City's lead after 69 minutes when he finished off the rebound after Raya had rolled the ball straight to Sterling on the edge of the area, then denied the England man with a save he could not hold.
For Brentford, who did not include new signing Christian Eriksen even though the Dane started training with them this week after signing a six-month contract, the harsh realities of life in the top flight are beginning to become evident.
Thomas Frank's men have now lost six in a row in all competitions for the first time since 2006. Then, Oldham and Cheltenham were among the teams who beat them when they were in League One.
Now it's Liverpool, Manchester United and defending champions City.
Elsewhere, Ralph Hasenhuttl says Southampton produced the best performance of his tenure as they fought back to beat Tottenham and damage the hosts' bid for a Champions League spot.
Che Adams headed the winner in the 82nd minute, just three minutes after Mohamed Elyounoussi beat Hugo Lloris in almost identical fashion to level.
Southampton defender Jan Bednarek had earlier turned into his own net to open the scoring when under pressure from Son Heung-min following Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's cut-back.
But Armando Broja levelled soon after in what was a dominant first-half performance from the visitors in which Romain Perraud also struck the crossbar.
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The hosts had struggled to contain Southampton but improved after the break and Son put them back in front, only for Hasenhuttl's side to score twice in the final 11 minutes.
Steven Bergwijn thought he had grabbed a dramatic leveller in stoppage time but the substitute had strayed just offside.
"We played fantastic football and deserved to take something," Hassenhuttl, who joined Southampton in 2018, told Match of the Day after his 500th game as a manager.
"We believed in us and the mentality and character of the team is outrageous, it is fantastic to watch, they are fighting for everything.
"The whole performance was by far the best since I was here."
Tottenham remain seventh, four points off the top four, while Southampton climb to 10th.