Manchester City only have the FA Cup and qualification for the Champions League left to play for this season after a dismal campaign by their very high standards
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Updated 22:31, 29 Mar 2025
Pep Guardiola has oversen a (Image: Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola refuses to accept that winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League will rescue Manchester City ’s season.
The four-in-a-row champions are 22 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and failed to get beyond the last 16 in Europe after a dismal run that included a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth. They head back to the Vitality Stadium with a semi-final place at Wembley up for grabs - and the chance to extend their record of making it into the last four of the Cup for a seventh successive season.
But Guardiola insists that lifting the 19th trophy of his nine-year Etihad reign and booking a place in the Champions League will only be a consolation for what's been a painful campaign. Guardiola said: “Of course it would be nice to arrive in the final of the FA Cup and win it, and qualify for the Champions League.
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“I am pretty sure that right now it would be seen as a big success - but the season has been poor and it's not going to change. Our standards and many things were not good - and that is the reality. So it's not going to change for the fact that we might win one title and we might be happy.
“Of course we want to do it so we have one more (trophy). But how we behave this season is not going to change, even if we qualify for the Champions League and win the FA Cup.
Guardiola admits Manchester City's season can't be saved
Guardiola admits Manchester City's season can't be saved
“That would be a huge success - and winning the FA Cup would be a huge success - but the season has not been good.”
City began their rebuild by spending more than £170million on four new players in January - and the good news for the club is that their manager gave assurances that he has the appetite to stick around to make things right again.
Kevin De Bruyne is out of contract and stars like Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic have all failed to shine. Guardiola refused to discuss the details of who he wants to stick around next season.
Manchester City are 22 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool
Manchester City are 22 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool
But he said: “The titles that we won in the past weren’t openings that gave us a red carpet to win the titles (again). My duty was to overcome the situation much better than I have done. There are a few details why it has happened. Hopefully it won’t happen next season. This is important.
“What is important is the club is committed to continue being up there as long as possible. That is why I want to work with the club and with the players to get back.
“We have incredible things ahead of us. The season is still there, with the Premier League and FA Cup, and we start a new season in the World Cup.
“We’ll refresh a few weeks and go to the World Cup to start the next season - and this is the target I have.”
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