This is how Guardiola came to dominate the Premier League

After a difficult first season in England, Pep Guardiola has made his mark with Manchester City with back-to-back Premier League titles.

This was the first time any English team had defended the top-flight crown since Manchester United did it a decade ago.

"Since I came here, each game has been hard," Guardiola said after his first campaign in charge at City. "It's the most unpredictable and difficult league because of the number of games, the title rivals, the weather, the referees..."

Guardiola could only guide City to third, 15 points behind champions Chelsea, in his first season with the club but managed to finish his second campaign on 100 points.

That points tally was an English record while the team also won the most amount of games, 32, and scored the most goals, 106, in history.

"After getting 100 points, the tendency is to go backwards, but Liverpool have made us better," Guardiola said after winning a second league title on Sunday. "It's incredible to get 98 points after a season where we set the benchmark. It's the most difficult title of my career."

"We did everything possible, but City have got 198 points in two years," said Jurgen Klopp.

In Guardiola's three years in the Premier League, his City side have amassed a total of 276 points. That's 28 more than Liverpool, 41 more than Chelsea, 42 more than Tottenham and 60 more than Manchester United - City and United finished the 2015/16 season on 66 points each.

Hard acclimatisation

During his first season with an ageing City squad, Guardiola was criticised for his expansive style of play as Antonio Conte's pragmatic Chelsea team stormed to the league title.

"We concede goals because football is more unpredictable here," Guardiola said. "The ball spends more time in the air and isn't under control. We try to manage the game with the ball and that's difficult in England. I have to adapt myself and we have to be more practical.

"The second balls and the tackles are typical in England. I'm not a coach that coaches this. I want to dominate and score goals. I'm not going to change my style of play.

"The Premier League has made me a better coach. I've learned to manage myself in many circumstances."

Ederson, Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte were all brought in to help Guardiola gain more control of Premier League matches.

Since then, the Catalan coach has won two league titles, two League Cups, a Community Shield and have an FA Cup final against Watford to come.

Liverpool couldn't even win the title with 97 points - the biggest points total of any runner up in European football history.