Pep Guardiola: Man City manager says ‘winning is so addictive’

City were vying for the Premier League title all season with Liverpool, eventually claiming back-to-back titles by a single point over the Reds. Following 2017-18’s tally of 100 points, they have now collected a total of 198 over the past two campaigns.

“Sometimes it is easier to win a title when you have not won it for a long time. It is more complicated to win it back-to-back after last season.

“This is one of the best groups of players I have trained in my life, one of the best groups of human beings I have lived with, for the fact that after getting 100 points, they want to try to win again and again.

“They did not just win the Carabao Cup, but reached the final of the FA Cup. For one situation we are out of the Champions League but it has been incredible. That means a lot this season more than last season.

“Last season the opponents could not stay in our rhythm, but this season we had an opponent who were always in front of us, seven points at one stage, but we were there every single day.

“After 100 points, there was a tendency that the levels would drop and it was completely the opposite. They are heroes for me because you are leading them, being with them every day. We did not have one midweek off in five months, and that is incredible.

“If you do not reanalyse what you are doing every single day, you cannot improve. People believe we are doing well because we are winning, that is a big mistake. When you are winning, you have more to correct, you have to put more emphasis on where you can do better and that is the only way you can sustain the competition between themselves and try to achieve another step.”