Pep Guardiola has demanded his treble-chasing Manchester City players maintain their sky-high standards even though they have already wrapped up the Premier League title.

"Fifth Premier League title in six years, I could not imagine winning five in six," Guardiola told reporters

Arsenal's collapse in the Premier League title race showed they lacked the mentality and depth to dethrone Manchester City, but if there is any solace Mikel Arteta can take from the season is that they finally have a team that can be title contenders.

Guardiola's side will be crowned champions for a fifth time in six seasons if second placed Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday

The Spaniard has taken just 160 matches as a boss in the competition to reach the total, faster than previous record holder Carlo Ancelotti, who took 180 games to reach three figures

"I had the feeling we had one year of pain in our stomach. What happened last season, today went out," he said.

It's not an exaggeration to suggest that tonight's Champions League semifinal second leg against defending champions Real Madrid is the biggest game in Manchester City's recent history.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has backed striker Erling Haaland to rediscover his best form when they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final after the Norwegian failed to find the net at the Santiago Bernabeu.

With Messi's future up in the air, Guardiola gave an interview to ESPN in which he assured that the Argentine World Cup-winning captain "will do the impossible to return to Barcelona"

After beating Real Madrid 4-3 in a thriller in the first-leg last year in Manchester, City saw the Spanish giants fight back from the brink of elimination to beat them 3-1 after extra time and get to the final.

The City coach said his team would try and capitalise on an "opportunity" instead of aiming to make Carlo Ancelotti's reigning champions pay for eliminating them at the same stage last season

After the German midfielder had scored a first-half brace to put the Premier League leaders 2-0 up against Leeds United, Guardiola yelled from the sidelines for Haaland to take the penalty they had been awarded in the closing minutes

Manchester City's legacy under Pep Guardiola will not be defined by the trophies they have won but instead by the joy they have brought to fans, the Spaniard said as his side edge closer to winning their fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

Manchester City are on the verge of moving to the top of the Premier League as they will leapfrog title rivals Arsenal if they beat Fulham on Sunday but manager Pep Guardiola is taking nothing for granted even though his side are now favourites to win a third successive top flight title.

Guardiola said their next three games will "dictate a lot"

Pep Guardiola labelled Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland as "extraordinary" after the Manchester City stars destroyed Arsenal in a 4-1 victory that put the champions in control of the Premier League title race.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged fans to turn up the volume in their top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday as his side look to take control of the Premier League title race.

Guardiola made six changes from the team, which drew at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, with a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick securing City a 3-0 win and a spot in the final, where they will face either Manchester United or Brighton & Hove Albion

The row between Bayern Munich team mates Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane could actually make the German side more dangerous in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said.

Haaland scored twice in City's 3-1 win over beleaguered Leicester City to equal Mo Salah's record tally of 32 goals in a 38-game Premier League season