City ended an almost nine-hour wait to score at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Nathan Ake prodded home and 88th-minute winner to send 9,000 travelling fans wild.
The boss felt the win was deserved and is happy to end the losing five-game run at Spurs’ impressive new home.
“Football is about scoring and not conceding,” said Pep.
“Our stats were really good today, but you see stats for past games when we could not win here.
“We are really pleased to win and score a goal against this team, go through, and defend the title. We played really well.
“Our performance was top class. These players prove again the reason why they have done what they have done in the past.
“I know they are without Sarr, Bissouma and Maddison is coming back, but they are an incredible team with physicality.
“We played with incredible personality. All the players were top otherwise we cannot do it.
“Now in the second part of the season if we lose we lose competitions, in the FA Cup, Premier League, Champions League, we know how strong all the teams are.
“We cannot drop points. We had that mentality that we have to win to go through, so I am really pleased.
“I know the reality of how they train and behave. The players play really good except against Aston Villa who were much better than us, but the other ones we were there.
“It’s the performance, the way we play. The beginning was quite similar, like previous seasons. I am incredibly satisfied.
“We play 90 minutes to win the game. The last minutes matter. They defend high, the speed they have, how direct they are, it is an exceptional team.
“We had to minimise what they do with the ball.”
And when asked about the news that Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the current season, Guardiola said: “I will sleep better!
“Against his Liverpool team it is almost a nightmare. He will be missed. It was a shock like everyone.
“I felt when I heard the news that a part of Man City will lose something because we cannot define our period here together without him.
“He has been our biggest rival and personally the best rival I have had in my life.
“The Premier League is going to miss him, his personality, and the way his teams play.
“I respect the way he plays and always a pleasure to watch with how positive he is. I wish him all the best.
“He will not admit it, but he will be back, I know it. Maybe in 10 years’ time.
“He needs to recharge. This personality, he will be back with a national team or another team.
“Football needs personality like him. Hopefully now we can go dinner or have a drink together.”
