Pep Guardiola predicts lower points total could win Premier League

City, who have consistently dominated in recent years, became the first English top-flight team to achieve 100 points in 2017/18 under Guardiola.

They have since surpassed the 90-point mark in three more seasons, setting a high standard in the league. Liverpool, similarly dominant in recent years, recorded 99, 97, and 92 points in three of the last six seasons.

Historically, accumulating 90 points has been rare; prior to 2017, only four teams managed it in 21 years.

However, six of the last eight Premier League champions have needed over 90 points to secure the title.

This season, however, Guardiola feels this trend may change as players face an intense fixture schedule.

"It's the reality we are living now," said Guardiola. "In the previous seasons we played a lot of games, but maybe we will go to the World Cup and arrive in the last stages of that competition, we're going to play almost 70 games.

"It's like NBA, but they have four months holiday and we have three weeks.

"You have injuries for a long time like didn't happen before. It's normal, it's going to happen. We have to handle it."

Manchester City suffered a setback on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Bournemouth, ending their impressive 32-game unbeaten streak and allowing Liverpool to take the top spot with a 2-1 victory over Brighton.

Both City and Liverpool now prepare for Champions League matches on Tuesday, part of a congested schedule before the final international break.

The intensified calendar has sparked concerns, with Fifpro and European leagues recently filing a legal complaint against FIFA over excessive match demands.

City will also compete in FIFA's Club World Cup next July, further amplifying the workload. 

READ MORE: Report: Real Madrid interested in Florian Wirtz and Xabi Alonso