Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists they're victims of their own success.

Guardiola reckons the way City set a new Premier League benchmark – after ­winning the title with 100 points followed by 98 last season – has given ­ Liverpool a helping hand towards the prospect of their own first crown in 30 years.

“I think maintaining 100 points or 98 points for three or four years would be difficult," said the Spaniard. “I didn't want to think about it too much at the beginning of the season, but I thought maybe we would be able to do it again. When we arrived here, the ­standard was 85 points to win the Premier League. Now you have to reach almost 100 points to win it.

“That's how we helped ­Liverpool to make this step, to buy incredible top players and now it is the level you have to reach.

“All the teams that are behind Liverpool, we know we have to make 100 points. Before, it didn't happen and we were the reason why. For 11 years, no one won back-to-back titles and then we did it by winning 14 games in a row last season.

“Because of that, people say that now we are not good, but I cannot forget what this team has done.

“Sometimes in a process, in NBA teams, in incredible tennis players, there are problems or periods in the season when you struggle a little bit.

“To stay at the level we created for three, four , five years is so ­difficult and now we are ­struggling a bit because we have an opponent (Liverpool) that doesn't drop points.

“After four titles in one season, maybe we believed we were ­something we are not and the reality of sport is to make you go again, again and again."