New Zealand international Rebekah Stott says unbeaten Melbourne City are among the best teams she has played for in a senior career stretching back to 2011.
But she has warned the club's W-League rivals that the best could still be to come from the ladder leaders.
City are six points clear of Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers and could lift the W-League premiers' plate as soon as Sunday if results fall their way this weekend.
If Sydney and the Wanderers draw on Friday night, a win in Sunday's Melbourne derby would be enough to ensure City top the table for the first time in four years.
"This is one of the best squads I've been in - not just here but around the world," said Stott, who has played for clubs in Germany, Norway and the USA as well as starring for both of the senior Melbourne teams.
"We're so consistent at the moment, which is good, and I don't think we've fully reached our potential yet - which is a good thing because we're still winning games.
"I think (we need) more goals, more convincing wins - I think we can be a lot more lethal than we are at the moment."
City last played a competitive match on January 18 before the W-League international break, and with six Matildas in action for Olympic qualifiers they have had limited numbers at training.
City won the championship for three successive seasons from 2015/16 and, after missing the finals in Rado Vidosic's first season last year, they have returned to the top of the pile this time around.
Sunday's clash against the in-form Victory offers local bragging rights as well as the chance to reclaim top-dog status in the W-League.
"(Finishing top is) huge," Stott said. "We definitely want to get that back and show the league that we are the top."
Australian Associated Press
