Manchester City take on Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday, but after a poor campaign in the Premier League and Champions League they only have one trophy to aim for
Pep Guardiola says this season has been a brutal reality check for Manchester City – but one from which he believes they will come back stronger.
City, Premier League champions for the last four seasons, are currently fifth in the table and in danger of missing out on the Champions League for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. Guardiola also failed to reach the Champions League last 16 for the first time as a manager, with the FA Cup and a top-four place the only targets left for the soon-to-be-deposed champions.
Against that backdrop, City and England midfielder Phil Foden admitted this season’s difficulties had made him appreciate his success at City that much more and not to take it for granted. Guardiola, who has won 18 trophies in nine years at City, echoed Foden, claiming the experience of this season will only serve to make him and his players better next season.
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“In the good moments, always you learn,” said Guardiola. “In the bad moments as well, we learn. Sometimes the experiences can happen many, many times and, if you don’t learn, you have the problems again and again. Of course, of course, it’s a good lesson for me, personally
“I learned a lot – and hopefully for the club as well. When I said in the past – and the people said ‘Ah, Pep is naive’ – that qualification for the Champions League is a huge success, the people didn’t believe me. Now they believe me.”
Guardiola also claimed the failure of the Premier League to deliver a verdict on the 115 charges facing City – which was mooted during the international break – was not a distraction for him or his players.
“No,” said Guardiola. “We’re more than one year with that, so nothing changes with one more week, two more weeks or three more weeks. Or four more weeks.”
Of more immediate concern to Guardiola is Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final tie at Bournemouth, where City will be aiming to reach a seventh successive semi-final.
“To reach the semi-final of the FA Cup for the seventh time in a row – this is the target,” said Guardiola.
“We achieved the record last season, reaching semi-finals six seasons in a row. That shows how important it is to arrive in this competition.
“We take it seriously like we took the Carabao Cup in the past to win four in a row. The results we don’t know but we have to take it seriously. To try to reach Wembley will be nice.
“After that, the target is to win games to qualify for the Champions League next season. Try to win against Bournemouth, then after that we’ll prepare for Leicester on Wednesday.”
Bournemouth beat City earlier this season and Guardiola knows to expect a test against Andoni Iraola’s side, who are among the Premier League sides pushing for a Champions League place.
“They have a specific way to play and it works,” he said. “They’ve had a really good season so far and have quality players with the ideas they have.
“So we have to read the game. They were our first defeat in the Premier League this season.”
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