Pep Guardiola joked that he had phoned Real Madrid for advice on how to score quickfire goals as Manchester City produced an astonishing turnaround to win the Premier League.
City were two goals down to Aston Villa with 15 minutes to go but scored three goals in five minutes to win 3-2 on the final day of the season and pip Liverpool to the title despite their victory over Wolves at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp's side finished a point behind after a terrific second half of the season.
Guardiola was at a loss to explain how City turned their game around, and likened it to their devastating Champions League exit when they conceded two goals in the final minutes of normal time in their second leg before letting another in in the opening stage of extra time. And the Blues boss only had words of praise for Liverpool, who he said pushed City to greater heights.
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"I called Real Madrid and they gave me good advice!" he said on the turnaround. "No explanation in Madrid, no explanation today. It's momentum. Sometimes it's nice to live these kinds of situations. I had the feeling this will help us to be stronger next season.
"Maybe we need a little bit more time but every second that passes after this Premier league we realise that four Premier Leagues in five years in this country is probably the best achievement we have done in our careers. It is incredible.
"Jurgen Klopp said a few days ago about the winners: there are few winners but a lot of triers. I love this concept. I'm a good trier. I'm going to say that Liverpool are losers? What they have done in the Premier League in the last few years when there was a team that was one inch better than them but they are winners.
"Of course, in society there is just one winner and the rest are disasters. That is the wrong message for the new generation. You have to be a good trier and try every time and do it and not give up. Both teams, Liverpool and ourselves have done it in the last five years.
"What we did is that when the Premier League average was 82, 83 points average, now you need more than 90 in this leagues against these teams and managers and players, is quite remarkable. I said the same. How big is your rival your victory is higher and there are no doubts in this country about that."
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