Guardiola relishing ‘big fight’ for Champions League spot

AFP | London

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Pep Guardiola said he is not deflated at having to battle for a place in next season’s Champions League and believes doing so would be a “huge success” in a difficult season for Manchester City.

Premier League winners for the past four seasons and in six of the previous seven, Guardiola’s men sit fifth with 10 games to go.

A fifth-placed finish will now almost certainly secure Champions League football next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competition this season.

However, that is far from guaranteed for City with five clubs down to Fulham in 10th within five points of the champions. City have struggled to match the high standards of Guardiola’s glorious reign this season, losing nine of their last 19 league games.

“It’s a big fight and not like a disappointment to be here. It’s a challenge in that if we’re able to achieve that and qualify for the Champions League, it’d be a huge success from my point of view,” said Guardiola yesterday ahead of Brighton’s visit to the Etihad.

“Sometimes there are seasons in life and in sport where you have to live that.

“It’s in our hands, it depends on us. We don’t have to recover eight or ten points to go there and wait for the opponent to lose many games, it’s just about us and depends on our behaviours and our foot-ball if we’re there or not.”

For the first time since the 2012/13 season, City were not involved in the Champions League last 16 this week.

‘Don’t deserve to be there’

The 2023 winners were soundly beaten 6-3 on aggregate by Real Madrid in the play-off round after only sneaking through the league phase as the 22nd best out of 24 qualifiers.

“I don’t have any disappointment and regret, we don’t deserve to be there,” added Guardiola on watching the best of the action form afar this midweek.

“Nobody has to explain me how special is this competition but in this season we deserve to be on the sofa with a glass of wine.

“Hopefully we can do better, qualify for next season and do it better to be there on the pitch.” Brighton are one of those who pose a threat to City’s Champions League hopes next season.

The Seagulls have won four consecutive top-flight games for the first time since 1981 to climb to seventh, just one point behind City.

“I think Brighton are one of the best clubs working on and off the pitch,” said Guardiola.