Guardiola claims Manchester City a victim of their own success

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are paying price for having raised bar in how many points it takes to win Premier League. Guardiola's men have won title in past two seasons with record tallies of 100 and 98 points, but travel to Arsenal on Sunday already 17 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool.

'Will we be able to do it again?'

"I didn't want to think it too much in beginning of season but I thought will we be able to do it again?" Guardiola admitted in his pre-match press conference. "When we arrived here standard was 85 points to win. w you have to reach almost 100 points to win Premier League. "That is why we helped Liverpool to make this step, buy incredible top players and w it is level you have to reach. All teams that are behind Liverpool, we kw we have to make 100 points." City denied Liverpool title last season by winning ir last 14 league games to become first side to retain Premier League in a decade. Four defeats in 12 league games have led to much criticism of City's succession planning for loss of captain Vincent Kompany and Guardiola's inability to patch up a makeshift defence.

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However, Catalan coach insists it is rmal for his side to have a brief drop in standards after such a sustained period of success. "Eleven years one won back-to-back and n we did it, by winning 14 games in a row. "That is why when people say we are t good, I cant forget what this team has done, but sometimes it is a process. In NBA teams, in incredible tennis players, re are problems or periods in season when you struggle a little bit. "I would say that is rmal, that people can expect it. That is going to help us, situation we are in is going to help us in future." 

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Guardiola did, though, admit that after a clean sweep of domestic silverware last season, some measure of complacency may have cost City and warned his players y must prove he can count on m for next season. "Maybe we believe something we are t and reality of sport is to make you (prove yourself) again and again and again," he added on spectre of complacency. "Unfortunately w, in position we are in, we have to overcome that situation. It is tomorrow and next games we prove how we are as a team. "You have to evaluate if you are good eugh as a manr to continue (winning), are players good eugh to try it again next season?" 

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