Pep Guardiola says City accept the challenge of fighting for silverware knowing that it will be tough every time.

Just two points separate the leading three sides at the top of the Premier League after Arsenal won immediately after our hard-fought 1-0 win at Bournemouth.

It has the potential to be an exciting end to the season with three teams chasing the title and Guardiola’s side the only club involved in the FA Cup and Champions League as well.

With a busy end-of-season schedule and big games to come next month against both Liverpool and Arsenal as well as the Manchester derby on Sunday 3 March, the boss says his players will give everything to try to land more trophies.

“Every year is tough and I love it,” he said. “It’s tough, okay we accept it. We accept the challenge and that’s for sure.

“I know Arsenal and Liverpool and what teams they are. It’s try to recover to increase the quality of some players (and) their performance.

“You can arrive in the last games being there and everything can happen with these players, with this personality and mentality, because whatever the competition they perform and give everything.

“That is, sometimes when we don’t perform well, it’s because we forget that the opponents are really good too. They are really good.

“Sometimes you can perform well and lose. The stability and personality of the team is there.”

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Phil Foden’s strike at the Vitality Stadium secured a second successive 1-0 victory in the space of five days following our home win against Brentford.

Guardiola described facing the Bees as like going to the dentist without anaesthetic after our narrow victories.

But the reason for the tough double-header was also a reminder that we were crowned world champions by winning the FIFA Club World Cup, forcing a reschedule of our Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

“We play against Brentford and Brentford is [like going to] the dentist, without anaesthetic,” Guardiola said.

“You know why we played against Brentford? Because we played in the (Club) World Cup in Saudi Arabia, for two games and with the schedule, we don’t have time.

“After, Tuesday to Sunday is a lot and then we have Champions League and then another one. Then comes the big month with United and then FA Cup I don’t know then Brighton. After that Liverpool then Arsenal then Aston Villa. Welcome, still you are there.

“One point behind after being champions of everything, that is good. I thought I don’t know what is going to happen to my players after... and how they will react. Oh my god, better than this is impossible. Impossible.”