Pep Guardiola hopes Phil Foden understands there is plenty of room for improvement but said it is a joy to have the boyhood Manchester City fan starring for his team.
Foden scored a stunner and set up another goal as Premier League leaders City romped to a 4-1 victory over reigning champions Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Playing in a central role up front, Foden struggled to get into the game in the first half but thrived in the second after Guardiola had altered City's shape.
His exquisite strike rounded off a remarkable 10-minute spell late in the second half in which the match went from 1-1 to 4-1.
Two blunders from Alisson had gifted City their second and third goals – Ilkay Gundogan tucking in from Foden's cut back before Raheem Sterling headed home his 100th goal under Guardiola from Bernardo Silva's deft lob.
Foden lashed in a fourth from a tight angle to wrap things up and condemn Liverpool to a third straight Anfield defeat for the first time since 1963.
Asked about the Englishman's performance, Guardiola told Sky Sports: "He's a guy who keeps the ball really well, he's really aggressive.
"But still he is so young, he doesn't understand in some positions what he has to do, so in the first half he was not in the right positions.
"We worked but he is a little bit distracted sometimes in these positions. Playing wide is more easy for him but he will learn.
"After that, the assist for the second goal and then scoring the fourth goal, we know what a huge talent he is, but he's still young and we are still hopeful that he can understand that he can improve, because in the first half he was not in the position that we needed and that's why we suffered in some moments to get the control."
Guardiola had never before tasted victory at Anfield, City's previous five visits during his tenure having returned four defeats and just one draw.
And, while the Spaniard acknowledged the difference a lack of supporters makes, he was still impressed by his players' ability to overcome in-game setbacks.
He added: "What's important is the three points. Of course I'm so proud of the guys. Anfield with people and without is completely different. It's good, especially when we miss the penalty, concede the goal.
"We react with huge personality. Raheem Sterling, phenomenal. The commitment from everyone. Three points, grateful, happy, but tomorrow feet on the grass and thinking Swansea.
"We are not one player. Gundogan started to be one of the top scorers, we have to do it as a team. We have an incredible captain. In this period, to do wins in a row is so difficult."
Thanks to their win, City sit 10 points clear of champions Liverpool and five ahead of second-placed neighbours Manchester United at the summit of the Premier League – and with a game in hand on both.
But Guardiola is not getting carried away as he looks ahead to a testing February fixture schedule.
He continued: "I said before, I'm not a guy who predicts the future. In February, five points is nothing. Swansea, Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal, many tough games. Be calm and keep going.
"In England you think February will be softer but the schedule is even tougher. One game at a time. The next one is Swansea."
Coventry City 1-2 Tottenham: Late Spurs turnaround breaks Sky Blues' hearts
Tottenham produced an inspired late turnaround to scrape through to the EFL Cup's fourth round with a narrow 2-1 victory over a spirited Coventry City.
The Championship side took a deserved lead at the Coventry Building Society Arena through Brandon Thomas-Asante, but Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson struck late on to snatch victory from under their noses.
Coventry carried the greater threat during the first half, in which Tottenham failed to register a single shot on goal. Jack Rudoni saw a goalbound shot blocked by Destiny Udogie, while Norman Bassette fired narrowly over from a tight angle soon after.
Spurs then had Ben Davies to thank on the hour mark, when the skipper's sliding intervention prevented Haji Wright slotting into an empty net following a mix-up between Fraser Forster and Radu Dragusin.
However, the hosts broke through just three minutes later when Thomas-Asante turned in Bassette's cross from close range.
There was to be a late twist, though. With two minutes remaining, Spence rounded off a fine team move and, with penalties looming, Johnson raced onto Rodrigo Bentancur's throughball to complete the turnaround in the second minute of stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Spurs survive scare to maintain Cov dominance
Coventry were looking to reach the EFL Cup's fourth round for the first time in 16 years, and were just two minutes away from doing so after an impressive performance against their top-flight opponents.
However, Tottenham's timely late rally dug the Premier League side out of a hole, and sealed their fifth win in as many meetings between the teams.
Spurs have now progressed from 17 of their last 18 EFL Cup ties against sides from outside the Premier League.
Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava: Engels stars as Rodgers' men make dominant start
Celtic placed down an early Champions League marker after hammering Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in Wednesday's opener.
Arne Engels teed up Liam Scales' fierce headed opener in the 17th minute at Celtic Park, before the midfielder himself scored from the penalty spot in the second half.
Kyogo Furuhashi had earlier added Celtic's second goal of the game just nine minutes before Engels' penalty, awarded for a needless pull on Alistair Johnson by Danylo Ignatenko.
Switzerland defender Kevin Wimmer reduced the arrears on the hour with a delightful outside-of-the-boot finish, though Daizen Maeda soon restored the advantage 10 minutes later after linking up with Reo Hatate.
Substitute Adam Idah rounded the scoring off with four minutes remaining, latching onto James Forrest's pass to complete a convincing triumph.
Data Debrief: Celtic firing on all cylinders
Engels' fine individual showing made him only the second player to both score and assist a goal on his Champions League debut for Celtic, after Sweden great Henrik Larsson against Juventus in September 2001.
Brendan Rodgers' side were completely dominant in every aspect, too, accumulating a massive 3.22 expected goals (xG) tally to Bratislava's minimal 0.30.
It was also just the second time Celtic have smashed four or more goals in one match in the competition, having also managed to do so in a 4-3 victory over Juve in October 2001.
With goals coming from all over the place, Celtic had five different scorers in a European Cup/Champions League match (excluding own goals) for the first time since September 1973 against TPS Turku (Dixie Deans, George Connelly, Harry Hood, James Johnstone, Thomas Callaghan).
Arsenal left wanting at Hacken as Man City seize control in Champions League qualifier
Arsenal are facing an uphill battle after a surprise defeat in their Women's Champions League qualifier, though there was no such shock for Manchester City.
Jonas Eidevall's side were defeated 1-0 in the first leg away to Hacken on Wednesday, leaving a comeback needed in the reverse fixture next Thursday.
An error from visiting defender Katie McCabe, who missed a clearance from a diagonal pass, led to Tabitha Tindell's 77th-minute winner at Bravida Arena.
Arsenal face Man City in the Women's Super League between the two Hacken clashes, and Gareth Taylor's side will head into that domestic fixture with growing confidence from a fine European showing.
City ran out comfortable 5-0 winners away to Paris FC, with Vivianne Miedema scoring the opener on her competitive debut for the club.
Jess Park doubled the lead shortly after, and added a second to her own account later on, along with goals for Mary Fowler and Chloe Kelly in a one-sided outing in France.
Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Juventus secured a 3-1 first-leg lead in a battle of two heavyweights with Paris Saint-Germain.
New signing Amalie Vangsgaard opened the scoring against her former club before Thiniba Samoura levelled with a sumptuous equaliser soon after.
Sofia Cantore set up Juve's first and found the net for the home side's second to restore their lead, before Hanna Bennison wrapped up a fine team move to seal a commanding advantage.
There was no such fortune for Juve's fellow Italian side Fiorentina, however, as Wolfsburg produced a 7-0 hammering in the first leg at Viola Park.
Wolfsburg captain Alexandra Popp dominated with a hat-trick, along with a brace from defender Marina Hegering and goals for Jule Brand and Vivien Endemann.
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