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Guardiola hails “champion behavior” as Man City tops Chelsea

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Bernardo Silva's goal at the start of the second half was enough for Man City to top Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola didn’t hold back in his celebrations after Manchester City concluded a tough 8-day span with a third-straight win.

[ MORE: Messi scores 600th goal ]

This time, it was 1-0 against Chelsea following a pair of 3-0 defeats of Arsenal. Guardiola pumped his fists and crouched to scream toward the ground after the Silva-inspired win.

There was no need to excuse their heavy legs. City had three-quarters possession and double-digit more attempts than the visiting Blues.

The idea? Simply possess until the openings were created, and be cautious with Chelsea’s brilliant forward talents.

“We had to be careful against the counter attacks,” Guardiola said on NBCSN. “Hazard, Willian and Pedro are all quick players but we controlled it and we were quick with the ball. Nobody was making extra passes or extra touches. It’s not easy when they defend with nine players in their box.”

In the end, City has taken another step toward not just being Premier League champions, but achieving the feat in time to allow complete focus on the UEFA Champions League. From the BBC:

“It was so important, a win today is another step closer. We need four victories to be champions, it is in our hands and if our behavior is like today we will be champions.”

Follow @NicholasMendola