Pep's perfect 10 the tonic for Man City's Euro woe

Pep Guardiola may not yet have delivered the Champions League crown Manchester City crave, but four Premier League titles in five years demonstrate a period of dominance to match his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The Catalan now has 10 league titles to his name in just 13 seasons as a senior coach across three of the toughest divisions in the world.

Few of those have been as hard-fought as City's latest title triumph. 

Guardiola's men were pushed all the way by a Liverpool side he described as the best he has faced in his managerial career.

The Reds could still complete a treble of League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League should they see off Real Madrid in Paris on May 28.

However, just as in the engrossing title tussle between the same two clubs three years ago, City's squeaked home by a point thanks to a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on the final day.

Recognition of Guardiola's achievements at City often comes with the caveats of the huge resources at his disposal and consistent failings to convert domestic dominance into European success since leaving Barcelona a decade ago.

"If we don't win it in my final period here, I will be a failure," Guardiola said last month, speaking about his Champions League record.

But his ability to construct sides capable of rising to the relentless demands of winning a title over 38 games is unmatched.

The 51-year-old has laughed off suggestions he could match former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson's longevity.

But only Ferguson's haul of 13 Premier League titles in 27 years at Old Trafford comes close to matching Guardiola's strike rate in Europe's toughest leagues.

"Pep is the best coach in the world," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp last month. "I think we