Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City’s latest Premier League title success should not be demeaned by suggestions Arsenal ‘bottled it’ in the run-in.
Yet the City boss conceded his side would need to go on to win the Champions League to be regarded among the greats.
City were confirmed as English champions for a fifth time in six years and a third season in succession after Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The Gunners had led City by eight points as recently as last month but their form deserted them at a crucial stage.
Guardiola, however, paid tribute to his former assistant Mikel Arteta’s team after City celebrated their triumph with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday.
Guardiola said: “There’s a tendency to underestimate. They are winners.
“We pushed Arsenal but they are exceptional. They should be proud of where they have come from. They have to sustain it, that is the reality, but for me they are winners.
“They made me think a lot what I had to do to beat them, and they did it to us. Our relentlessness and not giving up, and having the feeling that we had to win otherwise it would not be possible, helped us a lot.
“With the relationship I have with Mikel – congratulations for what they’ve done. He’s brought them back to what Arsenal was in the past.
“Similar to Liverpool in previous seasons, they took us to our limits.”
City hope the Premier League will prove the first leg of a glorious treble, with the FA Cup and Champions League finals to follow next month.
Guardiola, who won the European competition twice as Barcelona manager, said: “We have the feeling we have done something exceptional in terms of the Premier League, but of course to be considered one of the greatest in Europe we have to win the Champions League.
“Otherwise people will say our time here is not complete.”
City have now won 12 Premier League games in succession in their charge to the title but Guardiola denied that would make their latest title win more special than the others.
He said: “I’d not say it is more important. The Premier Leagues have been so tight, so this is not more special than the others. Every one is.”
Chelsea’s interim manager Frank Lampard, whose side were beaten by an early Julian Alvarez strike, believes his side can learn a lot from the champions.
The Stamford Bridge side’s season has been a huge disappointment, with a top-10 finish beyond them, but Lampard admits a huge amount has to change for them to even get close to their rivals.
“Man City have not won three in a row through trotting out at half-intensity. To get to this level where you are lifting trophies there is a lot of work,” he said.
“Everyone’s personal responsibility is ‘if I want to get to be like (Erling) Haaland and (Kevin) De Bruyne I need to put in the work those boys have put in’.
“It is in their hands. I can’t say that how long it will take, it is down to the players, the direction of the club. To get where Manchester City are a lot of things have to align.
“There is clearly talent in the squad, young talent, maybe a lack of stability and imbalance and they are maybe club issues.”
Varane to leave Man Utd at end of season
Raphael Varane will depart Manchester United when his contract expires at the end of this season.
The France defender, who is currently sidelined through injury, is set to leave the Red Devils after three years at Old Trafford.
Varane has made 93 appearances for the club since arriving from Real Madrid in August 2021, scoring two goals, and was part of the side that won the Carabao Cup in 2023.
United occupy eighth place in the Premier League table with two games remaining in what has been a torrid 2023-24 campaign, and are in danger of missing out on European qualification.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old is confident brighter times lie ahead for the club.
"It's been an amazing few years to play for this special club and wear that shirt," he said in a video posted on his X account.
"The first time I went to Old Trafford as a Man United player, it was insane. The atmosphere was amazing. I fell in love with the club, with the fans. You have to play for Manchester United to understand what it represents.
"It's going to be a special place for me for life. Despite the fact we had a difficult season, I'm very positive for the future. The new owners are coming in with a clear plan and a great strategy."
Manchester City's success is "not boring" or purely determined by financial reasons, head coach Pep Guardiola insists.
The Citizens are on the hunt for an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title, and could become the first team to win back-to-back doubles should they also prevail in the FA Cup final later this month.
Once again, City appear to be hitting form at just the right time, winning each of their last four matches by an aggregate scoreline of 15-1.
Guardiola's side are a point behind leaders Arsenal heading into the final week of the campaign, and will leapfrog the Gunners should they win their game in hand against Tottenham.
But the Spaniard rejected the claim City's success is becoming too predictable - or that it is down to the money they have spent - believing other teams would have lifted more silverware than his side had that been the case.
"It's not boring," he said. "It's difficult. Before, it was the money. For that reason, Manchester United should have won all the titles, Chelsea - all the titles, Arsenal - all the titles.
"They spent as much money in the last five years as us. They should be there. They are not there.
"For that reason, Girona shouldn’t be in the Champions League [next season] and Leicester should win the Premier League."
City will take a giant step towards that fourth straight Premier League crown with victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.
While Guardiola admits the achievement was not at the forefront of his squad's intentions at the beginning of the campaign, he is well aware of it's significance.
"In the beginning of the season, we didn't think about it," he added. "But then we were in February, March and April, we were still there [in the title race]. After that, it ignites something in all our heads.
"No team has done it. That shows how hard it is. Liverpool in the 1980s, Alex Ferguson's [Manchester] United in the 1990s. Chelsea with [Roman] Abramovich and Jose [Mourinho], Arsenal with [Arsene] Wenger didn't do it."
Klopp laments late lapse as Liverpool fail to see out win
Jurgen Klopp was lamented his side's late mistake as Liverpool gave up a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday.
The Reds were on top after a quick start as Emiliano Martinez gifted them an opener inside the first 61 seconds. Though Youri Tielemans equalised for Villa, Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah put Liverpool back in control.
Jhon Duran scored twice late on, netting in the 85th and 88th minutes to deny Klopp’s side three points.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the German admitted that though they could not see out the win, he was proud of his team’s performance.
He said: "It got away from us. We played really good football. We were really good, played a lot of good stuff and caused a lot of problems.
"Before we changed, we gave them too many chances. It was very intense for the boys. They created too much. They were too often in our box, and we made the changes. Then we made a mistake. It happens but in that moment, it opens the door.
"They scored an equaliser, and I don't even know how. The character from the boys tonight was outstanding in our situation. We wanted to win the game. In the moment, when we gave away the 3-2, that was really tricky. That's it, that's the story of the game."
It looked like Quansah’s goal would be the winner for much of the second half, with the young defender heading in his first goal for Liverpool.
"I've been waiting for that moment," he told the BBC. "I don't score too many goals, so when it goes in the back of the net you just saw the emotion come out I guess.
"I just tried to get the best contact on it as I could. I'm thankful it went in.
"The way the crowd celebrated was a surreal moment, definitely one I'll never forget."
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