Guardiola: Man City and Liverpool have taken Prem standards to historic level | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City and Liverpool have lifted standards to a new level.

Ahead of Saturday's game against Chelsea at the Etihad, Guardiola reiterated his belief that City and Liverpool have upped the standard required to be champions of England, a challenge Thomas Tuchel's side have risen to.

“Well, when I was at Barcelona it was always Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid but not like they are after (I left)," he told City's website.

"Always it was Barcelona and Madrid. At Bayern it was Dortmund and here the last years was Liverpool and ourselves.

"Now it's Chelsea this season but that's because Liverpool and Manchester City were exceptional, not because the others were doing wrong.

"United was close I remember one year with Mourinho and last season especially with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they were really good but we were exceptional.

"What Liverpool and Manchester City has done in last three or four years has never before been seen before in this country, never ever.

"Now it's more than 90 points [needed] to be champions, before it was 78, 80, 82, 86, 87. I think Antonio Conte with Chelsea started it a little bit when they won the league in my first season here but after, Liverpool and City made a step [forward].

"And I think they did well the other opponents - Chelsea, United, Tottenham - but Liverpool and City were out of this world.

"And I'm proud after six seasons together or five years of success, in January we are still there in every single game competing.

"I repeat many times, what happened after being Champion, the next season of the last 10 champions, they drop, but drop massively and we are there, and that's incredible credit."