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After 100 minutes of madness in the South Coast sun, Pep Guardiola had ­recovered his cool.

He insisted the compelling Premier League still had to prove it was the toughest league in Europe, and claimed it was equally hard to get a ­result in Bilbao as at Bournemouth.

But the reaction of the Manchester City manager, his staff and players to Saturday's last-gasp 2-1 win over the Cherries showed the importance of the manner of the victory as well as the collection of all three points.

His second-season City had gone the distance to win on the road again.

There is substance to them as well as style.

(Image: AFP/Getty)

Kevin De Bruyne said: “It was a crazy game, but the end was good for us. Last year I don’t think we won any of these games, so for us it’s massive. In the three games, we have seen the resilience in another way. It turned into a bit of a mad house at the end.”

Charlie Daniels smashed home his club’s likely Goal of the Season before Gabriel Jesus equalised.

Josh King and Nicolas Otamendi hit the woodwork after the break before Raheem Sterling’s 97th-minute winner and ­subsequent dismissal saw both sides unhappy with ref Mike Dean after a frantic finale.

Guardiola then was asked if the hard-fought ­victory showed the Premier League was the most demanding in Europe.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA) (Image: AFP)

But the former ­Barcelona and Bayern ­Munich boss insisted Champions League results rather than excitement or money were better ­barometers of success.

“I know you like to hear: ‘It is the toughest one, ­congratulations,’” he said. “You are the most viewed.

"Of course the Premier League is tough, so tough. But I would not say going to the Bernabeu, Camp Nou, Bilbao, Sevilla is easy. Because in the last decade, all the Spanish teams arrive in the ­Champions League and Europa League. Winning the Europa League — like ­Sevilla did three times in a row.

"The Premier League will be tough when, this is going to happen with five teams in the Champions League, they can achieve the last rounds. After we can say, ‘That is the toughest league’. We have to make that step.”

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Rex/Shutterstock)

Chelsea were the last ­Premier League team to win the Champions League, in 2012 — and Spain’s big two, Real Madrid and Barca, are the only clubs to have lifted the famous trophy in the last four years.

Two of Madrid's three triumphs during that span were in all-Spanish finals against their city rivals, Atletico.

“I would like to see an English team win the Champions League,” continued Guardiola. “I am one of the most lucky guys, I won two Champions League finals against Manchester United.

“And I would like to see Liverpool, ­Chelsea, United, City and Tottenham arrive in ­quarter-finals, semi-­finals, final. That would show that league is top.

“The money? No, ­because, if that was the ­reason why, the Premier League would always be in the finals.”

(Image: Rex/Shutterstock)

For big-spending City, the question will be where could unsettled Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez fit into their team.

“If you see our bench and even the guys who are still injured we have a massive squad,” De Bruyne added. “Now it is just one game a week but after the ­international break we are going to be playing every three days.”

Bournemouth were left frustrated by a third ­consecutive defeat.

But Steve Cook said: “We defended well against one of the best attacking teams in Europe.

"If we play like that, we’re going to win more than we lose.”