Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville has insisted that Manchester City have to start winning trophies on a regular basis in order to be considered as one of the powerhouses in European football.

City have received plenty of praise for their incredible start to the season, having breezed through the group stage of the Champions League in addition to opening up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Neville has claimed that City are "the best team in Europe" on current form, but has said that the Citizens will not be regarded as a true heavyweight until they start to lift trophies on a consistent basis.

"They are still putting those building blocks in place. They are dominating and, at this moment in time, they are the best team in Europe, they are playing the best football, but you have to measure success on winning trophies," Neville told Sky Sports News.

"They have a fantastic training ground, an academy that can produce top players, but not in great numbers. These are the sort of things where they need to match United. Winning trophies is how this team will be defined."

City will look to make it 14 straight Premier League wins when they travel to rivals Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.