Pep Guardiola insists Champions League qualification would be equivalent to winning a trophy for Manchester City this season | OneFootball

Manchester City securing a top-four finish in the Premier League this season would be the equivalent to winning a trophy, says manager Pep Guardiola.

A torrid run of form across English top-flight results in November and December had effectively ended Manchester City’s hopes of a Premier League title chase with Liverpool and Arsenal, although the campaign is far from over.

Pep Guardiola and his players know that they must make a firm attempt at reviving their season in order to ensure that they do not drop out of the English top-flight’s top-four places entirely.

Missing out on a UEFA Champions League spot for the 2025/26 season could have huge knock-on effects on the club’s ability to invest as aggressively as they may intend on doing during the summer market, as recruitment bosses look to put together a new generation of City squad.

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Speaking during a recent press conference, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was asked whether qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League via a top-four finish in the Premier League would be like winning a trophy.

“Yeah,” he insisted, before clarifying, “An incredible achievement? No. But there are seasons there a lot of difficulties, and how you stand up, how you stay here, stay here and do it, and achieve it.”

Guardiola continued by reminiscing on one of his managerial rivals as he said, “I remember Jose (Mourinho) – I don’t know the reality and what I said many times – finished 2nd at that time (with Manchester United) was the biggest success. I understand completely!

“When everyone, when Rodri is here, when all the central defenders is here, and many players are all there, we will fight! We will not be 25th now, in the Champions League, we will not! The team is exceptional! I think, because it’s quite similar, it’s really, really good.

“We have pride, and it’s good. But now, sometimes you live these kind of situations and when you live this situation and you achieve, of course it’s a biggest success. But I think the hierarchy, the sporting directors, CEOs, the players know that! Because sometimes life gives you circumstances.”

Guardiola went on to explain, “Ruben (Dias) is never injured! And now plays one or two games and is injured. Nathan (Ake) and John (Stones) cannot be sustaining like in some periods, the year of the Treble John played all the games. Now he can’t! And the teams are defined.

“When we had success, that belongs to players. Players create the ideas and everything good. But now we didn’t have that season, and you have to – with new players and everyone – recover and change especially here (in the head) the momentum in our minds that we can do it.”

Manchester City do however remain in the chase for trophies this season, as they travel to Leyton Orient in the fourth round of the FA Cup in February, while also competing for a place in the UEFA Champions League last-16 via the play-offs.