The game's historians had wasted little time in pointing out that the only three teams to have won their first four matches in an A-League season - Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar (in seasons 2006-07, 2016-17 and 2011-12, respectively) - had all gone on to win the championship.

So no pressure then?

"It's too daft a statement to make when there's another 20-odd games to go, isn't it," he said.

"It doesn't even bear commenting on. We just have to dust ourselves down and give a good account of ourselves against Sydney next week and try to keep the momentum up.

"It will be nice to have a crack at Sydney again. It's going to be a challenging game. It's another good test for us, I thought it was a big test [against Adelaide] and that's the bigger test for us next week."

Joyce wasn't exaggerating. Sydney are also unbeaten, with three wins from four games after their win over Perth Glory on Friday night, and Graham Arnold's side has only lost one A-League fixture since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, which ended with a grand final victory.

Friday night's clash at AAMI Park promises to be a searching test of the title credentials of the new hard-nosed City.

Joyce has made no secret of his admiration for the way Sydney set up, making themselves hard to score against but having sufficient quality in the front third to be able to take their chances when they come.

On target: Ross McCormack enjoys getting on the scoresheet. Photo: AAP

It is something he has worked at with City since arriving from Britain during the off-season.

The Melbourne side is not winning too many plaudits for playing pretty football at the moment, and Ross McCormack's tremendous ability to strike free kicks from distance has played a big part in bringing City their two most recent victories.

But the old adage about defences winning championships tends to ring true, and City have only conceded one goal in their first four matches, while scoring seven.

What Joyce was particularly impressed by on Saturday night was the way his team weathered the Adelaide storm at Hindmarsh, especially when holding midfielder Osama Malik was dismissed for two yellow cards, both of which were thought by many to be brandished somewhat harshly.

City played the last 29 minutes with just 10 men after Malik was giving his marching orders.

The old City, the free-wheeling, high-scoring cavalier bunch that grabbed goals for fun but leaked like a sieve, probably would have folded in those circumstances.

But this side, stacked full of hard-tackling experienced men, seems made of sterner stuff and kept another clean sheet as the Reds pressed to make something of their numerical advantage.

Not that Joyce wants his team to be known just for grinding out results.

"I keep saying, you want all parts of football ... you want effort and enthusiasm, that's the minimum, that should be a given. That's where you build from. But you want flair when the time comes too.

"We have been organised and shown effort and enthusiasm, and we have to build on that and dominate the game more with the ball now.

"When you lose a man and you are down to 10 men it's difficult. You are going to be under pressure and they defended well."

He was full of praise for Malik's technique in setting up City's opening goal, scored early when Ross McCormack converted from the spot after Stefan Mauk had been fouled by Adelaide keeper Paul Izzo.

"I thought if you look at Malik and [captain Michael] Jakobsen on the ball, they are good on the ball. They have good technique and touches, and good awareness," said Joyce.

"The weight of pass from Malik for Mauk's penalty was a clever little ball ... if Paul Scholes [former Manchester United and England midfielder] is playing that ball you are showing it again, it's through the eye of a needle, dropped 30 yards over somebodys head, on a dustbin lid ... it's clever placing, that's a perfect pass."

The coach was reluctant to get involved in a debate about the red card earned by Malik.

"He's only looking at the ball ... but I don't really want to comment, that's for commentators and journalists to do."