Our title defence begins on Sunday at 16:30 (UK) with a tough trip to Chelsea to kick off the new campaign.
City made history when we became the first Club to win the title four times-in-a-row in English football as we made it six Premier Leagues in seven years.
But it was won on the final day of the season after a tight race at the top and the City boss is expecting to be pushed by our rivals once again.
“There’s 140 points to play for and we start from zero, like everyone, and we will see if we want to conquer it,” Guardiola said in the second part of his pre-match news conference.
“We will have to conquer it again, because they are not going to give us the Premier League for the 24/25 season. You have to do it.
“I understand, because normally when people say that we are favourites, we have to accept it. When you have won four in a row and six in seven, it’s normal that we are favourites.
“We have to live with that, but I know what we have to do. Point by point must be won and of course, every season is more difficult.”
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Arsenal and Liverpool have been our closest challengers in recent seasons and Guardiola expects them to be in the title race again.
But other clubs have strengthened in the summer and he says there are a number of squads with the quality to finish the campaign on top.
Despite finishing each of his eight years at the Etihad in the Champions League places, the City boss insists the first target is always claiming a top-four finish with plenty of contenders ready to compete for those places.
“Always at the beginning of the season, the first target is to finish in the top four,” he said. “People say: ‘Oh, come on’, I say ‘no’.
“Newcastle are not in Europe, and are going to play one game a week. Newcastle with one game a week this season will be the Newcastle of two seasons ago.
“Arsenal are not necessary to talk about. Liverpool are not necessary to talk about. I know the signings of United, they are going to take the momentum and they will be there.
“Tottenham, I’m pretty sure they invest and with the young players and the manager knows better.
“There are a lot of teams - Chelsea again, the amount of players and their quality and the manager.
“Six or seven teams will be there and if you drop a little bit, you will be away.
“This is the reality that I have felt since the first season I arrived here and after we proved to ourselves that we can do it and to try to do it again. It’s simple.”
And Guardiola has not lost any of his enthusiasm to come out on top after a summer break from the game.
“The competition makes me be in a position where I want to be [involved],” he added.
“When it’s in preseason, it’s a little bit more flat, but the moment you arrive for the Community Shield and the competition it ignites something in myself.
“And hopefully in the players as well - to do it again.”
