Nottingham Forest host Manchester City in a decisive clash in the race for Champions League football, with Pep Guardiola not seeming particularly confident ahead of the trip.
Bizarrely, the Premier League being set for a fifth Champions League spot actually stands to benefit City more than Forest currently, as the champions have endured a stuttering Premier League campaign.
At the start of the season, you’d expect that any team ahead of City in March must be top of the league but Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds sit in third, a point ahead of Guardiola’s side, who look to unconvincingly qualify for Europe’s top continental competition.
Michael Dawson doesn’t expect Forest to make the Champions League but to even be having the conversation is an achievement in itself. Whereas, for Saturday’s opponents, not qualifying would represent an absolute disaster, so the most pressure lands at their feet at the City Ground.
It’s not surprising then that legendary coach Guardiola is feeling the heat about Champions League qualification, expressed clearly in his pre-match press conference.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola is uncertain about Champions League qualification
Such uncertainty is not shared by one Forest legend, as Brian Laws is confident that Forest will qualify for the Champions League, whilst the majority of those in Manchester cannot be sure either way.
Speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s clash with Espirito Santo, Guardiola was candid about his side’s chances, giving a nod to Forest in the process.
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He said: “We want to qualify [for the Champions League] but if we are not there it is because we were not good enough and the other teams deserved it.
“The Premier League, over 38 fixtures; it is fair enough. The results dictate where you finish. We are in a position that is not ideal but is not bad and it is in our hands, and we will fight for it.”
Not so subtly hinting that he’s not been particularly happy with his side this season, Guardiola’s references to deserving the Champions League spot will be a proud one for the Forest coaching staff, who have worked tirelessly to even be in the conversation.
Truthfully, though, Guardiola might be a little too coy about his side’s chances, given how the two sides’ next five fixtures compare.
How Nottingham Forest’s next five fixtures compare with their Champions League rivals
Gary Neville predicted Forest to miss out on the Champions League ahead of the crucial consecutive games against Arsenal and City, but after the draw against the Gunners, Saturday’s match is truly make or break when it comes to the Reds’ chances, given how their matches look next to their rivals.
Nottingham Forest Manchester City Chelsea Newcastle United
Ipswich Town (a) Brighton (h) Leicester City (h) West Ham (a)
Manchester United (h) Leicester City (h) Arsenal (a) Brentford (h)
Aston Villa (a) Manchester United (a) Tottenham (h) Leicester City (a)
Everton (h) Crystal Palace (h) Brentford (a) Manchester United (h)
Tottenham (a) Everton (a) Ipswich Town (h) Crystal Palace (h)
The Champions League hopeful’s next five Premier League fixtures
Of the four most likely teams to qualify for the final three Champions League spots, Forest have the most away fixtures in the next five, travelling to Ipswich Town, Aston Villa and Tottenham.
However, Chelsea’s away trips to Arsenal and Brentford are sure to cause Enzo Maresca’s side more trouble than the advantage of an extra home game.
Four of the Reds’ next five fixtures do come against sides in the bottom half of the Premier League table, though, which must give the Forest manager some confidence that his side can remain in the fight until the final act of the season.