Guardiola Warns Man City Could Miss Out on Champions League

Pep Guardiola expresses concerns that Manchester City might miss out on the Champions League if current form doesn’t improve, highlighting the pressure in European competition.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed concerns that the club might not qualify for next season’s Champions League.

City are now competing in their 14th straight season of European football’s most prestigious club tournament.

Between 1998 and 2017, only Arsenal achieved a longer record of qualification among English clubs, aside from Manchester United’s streak between 1996 and 2014.

City are currently in seventh place in the Premier League after 17 matches. They trail Nottingham Forest, who are fourth, by four points and are just one point behind Bournemouth, who hold fifth place.

England is currently at the top of UEFA’s European Performance Spot table and in a strong position to secure a fifth place for next season’s Champions League. However, based on current standings, City would still not qualify.

“When I mentioned it earlier, people laughed,” Guardiola remarked. “They said that qualifying for the Champions League wasn’t a significant achievement.”

I understand this situation because it often occurs with clubs in this country. They can be dominant for years, yet there are times when they go many seasons without qualifying for the Champions League.

Guardiola’s team will face Everton at home on Boxing Day, followed by a visit to Leicester on 29th December and then welcome West Ham for a match at their own ground on 4th January.

With all three opponents ranking in the bottom seven, City has an opportunity to enhance their dismal recent performance of just four points from eight matches. Guardiola admits that this form has cast doubt on their high European aspirations.

He added, “Manchester City has been the one team consistently in the Champions League over the past years.”

“Of course, we’re at risk now. Definitely.”

From the 2005-06 season to the 2008-09 season, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United consistently ended up in the top four of the Premier League. Furthermore, at least three of these teams held a spot in the top four for an impressive run of 15 consecutive seasons until 2012.

However, Manchester United have spent five of the last 11 seasons outside the Champions League. Arsenal were absent for six seasons before making a return in their latest campaign. Between 2010 and 2017, Liverpool failed to qualify all but once, while Chelsea is currently experiencing its second consecutive season away from Europe’s top tournament.

This term, City faces threats from unexpected sources. In addition to Forest and Bournemouth, Aston Villa is ahead of City, with Newcastle, Fulham, and Brighton also just a few points behind.

“There are many contenders,” said Guardiola, whose team has lost nine of their last 12 matches across all competitions. “Every club places great importance on this, and if we don’t win games, we’ll be out.”

If we fail to qualify, it’s because we weren’t deserving—we were unprepared and faced many issues without resolving them.