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Pep Guardiola acknowledged on Friday that he is under pressure to lead Manchester City to a Premier League finish in the top four to turn around the team’s dismal season.
With six of the last seven Premier League titles under their belt, City are now in fourth place, one point behind Nottingham Forest, their opponents on Saturday.
Fifth place is perhaps sufficient this season, but often a top-four finish is necessary to qualify for the Champions League.
Having participated in Europe’s premier club competition since 2011–12, City won the trophy for the first time in 2023.
At his Friday pregame press conference, Guardiola was questioned about the difference between the pressure he is under now and when City was vying for the Premier League crown in the past.
“The pressure is always there,” he said. “The pressure is constant in the big clubs. To give it your all, you must exert yourself. What you are playing for doesn’t matter.
“The reality is to try to finish in the top four and tomorrow (Saturday) we have an opportunity to go third in the table and climb and secure this target,” he stated.
Guardiola expressed his concern over Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest, whose league performance has declined recently.
“When you are third in the table after eight, 10 fixtures, OK,” he stated. “But when you are there with 11 games left, still you are third, it’s because you have done, really, really well.
“If not, it would be impossible for you to be third in the rankings, doing excellent things, for many, many months. It’s impressive, I think.”
Forest in third place and Aston Villa in tenth place are only six points apart, ensuring a close season finale.
Guardiola stated, “There are a lot of clubs and teams vying for this target.” Everyone aspires to play in the Champions League the following season for a variety of reasons, including the club’s reputation, sustainability, and financial gain.
He seemed at ease with his team’s European fate despite the fact that they are out of the Champions League yet advanced to the FA Cup quarterfinals.
“It will not be the end of the world (if we don’t qualify),” he stated. “We want to qualify for the Champions League but if it doesn’t happen it’s because we haven’t been good enough and the other teams deserve it.”
Nathan Ake, a defender, may miss up to 11 weeks of action after surgery for a fractured left foot, City boss Guardiola also informed reporters.
After making the issue worse, the Netherlands international was replaced during City’s FA Cup fifth-round victory against Plymouth at the Etihad Stadium last week.
