I did not expect it — Guardiola reacts after comfortable win over Chelsea

Guardiola has praised his Manchester City team for playing like champions as they kicked off their Premier League title defense with a 2-0 victory at Chelsea.

Despite admitting that the team is not yet at its best level, Guardiola was impressed with the performance, especially given the absence of key midfielder Rodri and the limited involvement of players like Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and John Stones.

"I didn't expect it. We are away from our best so three points is the good news," Guardiola said in his post-match interview with Sky Sports.

"The bad news is we have 65 games ahead of us!"

Guardiola attributed the team's success to their experience and familiarity with each other, having now been together for nine seasons.

"We have an advantage, it's our ninth season together so we know each other well. Of course, there are mistakes you have to improve, but we talked, the difference in being champions was our body language.

Guardiola also highlighted the importance of how teams respond to challenging moments, saying,

"It's the bad moments in the season and in the games that define the big teams, and for me, it is an honour to be in charge of these guys. I'm so fortunate, I could not say more."