Manchester City’s coach Pep Guardiola admits that securing a Champions League spot this season would be a significant achievement for his team.
City is going through a rough patch, struggling to find wins and form. With the team underperforming, Guardiola has tempered his expectations, even expressing doubts about qualifying for Europe’s top competition next season.
The club has consistently played in the Champions League for 14 consecutive seasons, winning their first and only title in the 2022-23 campaign. However, their current form has put next season’s participation in jeopardy.
In the Premier League, City has managed only one win in their last eight matches, leaving them in seventh place, four points behind Nottingham Forest in fourth. With only the top four teams earning a Champions League spot, City’s chances are looking increasingly uncertain.
To add to their woes, they are 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
Ahead of Thursday’s home game against Everton, Guardiola didn’t shy away from addressing the harsh reality:
“When I’ve said this before, people laughed at me. They said, ‘Qualifying for the Champions League isn’t a big success.’ But I know how big it is because I’ve seen it happen to clubs in this country,” Guardiola explained.
“There are teams that dominated for years but then failed to qualify for the Champions League for a long time. Manchester City has been in the Champions League consistently over the years, but now we’re at risk—absolutely at risk.”
City’s next league match is against Leicester City on Sunday, and the pressure to turn things around is mounting.
