Pep Guardiola paid tribute to his players for their 1-0 win at Bournemouth and said they had surprised him.
Phil Foden scored the only goal of the game as City claimed all three points to keep the pressure on at the top of the table.
With 26 games played for both Guardiola’s men and Liverpool, they are now on 59 and 60 points respectively.
While the performance is important, at this stage of the league, points are at a premium as any slip-up can have huge implications in the title race.
Speaking after the win, Guardiola was relieved and said: "I adore my players - they are supermen. They are so good. Where we come from for many years, playing every three days - they [Bournemouth] had seven days to prepare for the game and we always have less.
"So when people say, you play in the same conditions in the Premier League, no, no - we don't have the same equality, we have much more games than the rest to play, and this is a tough place to come, they are a fantastic team, they won 3-0 at Old Trafford.
"We demand too much of our players but they respond. I know people say, 'They earn a lot of money,' but it [the schedule] is too much. Honestly. But business must go on and it surprises me every time how we are still there, they have an incredible character and are so competitive even when they are tired, they give extra.
"Our fans have to be so proud of these guys.
"The last 10-15 minutes were tough - we won the Treble and people think we have to win every game 4-0, 5-0 but that is not the reality and hopefully soon we can have a week off and refresh our minds and legs."
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