Valverde: "We don't want this to be a random streak"

Head coach Ernesto Valverde urged his Athletic Club players to maintain their impressive form after Saturday's 4-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Bilbao.

The Lions put in a sensation performance as strikes by Gorka Guruzeta, Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams, plus an Alfonso Espino own goal, saw Athletic dominate at San Mames.

"We're getting good results at San Mamés, something we had to improve on from last year," Valverde said in his post-match press conference. "But the season is long and we don't want this to be a random streak, but something we can sustain."

Ernesto praised a complete display by Los Rojiblancos, saying their "dominance" was reflected in the scoreline.

He said: "It was a good game. We dominated. In the first half we lacked the final pass to turn our dominance into goals. In the second half, the 2-0 lead calmed us down, we dominated the match more effectively and took our chances to extend the lead.

"It was an important match to reinforce the level we showed in Girona. Moreover, we didn't concede many chances. Apart from not conceding, they didn't pose too much of a threat. The game was tighter, we gave away less and we were more accurate in front of goal.

"Rayo are playing well away from home and, in that sense, due to the difficulty of the game, we were good. We restricted them and we got three points that keep towards the top of the table."