David Silva says Manchester City cannot afford another slip against Sunderland.

The midfielder believes Burnley proved that playing teams struggling near the foot of the table are anything but straightforward.

"Some people have looked at our fixtures over the past few weeks and said that we should win them all, but football doesn't work like that," said Silva to City's website.

"It's a cliché, sure, but as Burnley proved, every game is difficult in the Premier League and it is a very long season.

"Any team can beat you if you're not at your best and I believe playing sides that are struggling to find form and are near the bottom of the league is worse than a run against teams near the top because they play every game as though it's their last one of the season."