Guardiola’s Centurions blasted to the 100-point mark in a phenomenal 2017/18 season.
But history shows repeated success is tough to achieve in the English top flight, with United the last team to earn successive league titles nine years ago.
City’s Catalan boss does have form in retaining trophies though, guiding Barcelona to three consecutive La Liga titles from 2009-2011 and then repeating the trick at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga from 2014-16.
Ahead of the traditional season curtain-raiser, the Community Shield, Guardiola said: “I don’t know. I lived this at Barca and Bayern and we were able to repeat. Maybe here it’s more complicated. All the teams are good, that’s why when you reflect on what we did last season we’re impressed.
“I don’t have an answer, I’ll try to do what I did in Barca and Bayern, to be harder with my players. After winning the players can have the ‘I’m really good’ mentality but that’s the moment you go down. I will just be clear with them, try to be fair with what I see on the pitch and off the pitch, and try to choose the right line-ups, and take it game by game.
“After winning the title early last season we played good - except one game against Huddersfield when we were so tired - the others we were there. I think about the next game, okay, prepare that game, see the players who are sharp and ready to play that game.”
