Ilkay Gundogan “certain” of Manchester City achieving Champions League qualification | OneFootball

Manchester City veteran midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has admitted his certainty that the club will qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Pep Guardiola and his players are fast approaching the business end of the season with a number of key ambitions and goals at the forefront of the squad’s mind despite the biggest honours firmly out of their reach.

Following a torrid run of form across November and December in particular, Manchester City found themselves largely ruled out of the Premier League title race, having won all of the last four top-flight crowns in succession.

Then came the turn of disappointment in Europe as a last-16 play-off tie against Real Madrid, owing to a hugely underwhelming group phase showing, resulted in Los Blancos winning 6-3 across two-legs and forcing City out before the knockout phase for the first time since 2012.

That leaves Manchester City fighting for a place in the Premier League’s top-five to secure Champions League football for next season, while the prospect of silverware remains on the agenda through the FA Cup as they find themselves at the semi-final stage this month.

Speaking during a new interview with The National, Ilkay Gundogan compared Manchester City’s ongoing pursuit of a top-five finish in the Premier League and subsequent qualification for next season’s Champions League with title battles of years gone by.

“The current battle we are in is the same as when we were fighting with Liverpool and Arsenal for the title. We just have to focus on the way we perform and the standards we set ourselves,” Gundogan insisted.

“We have a target to qualify for the UCL next season and to do that we have to perform at the highest level and win matches,” he continued. ‘We know our own capabilities and we know what the team is capable of, and for the majority of this season we have been below those expectations.”

“We have to see the reality of our situation and just try to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. It’s not just about talent at this point, it is about character and behaviour. It is about how you behave not just in games but on the training pitch and outside the field.”

Gundogan went on to point towards recent examples of an improving Manchester City side, praising the character required by the group to salvage crucial wins in both the FA Cup and Premier League lately.

“It is about how hard you work to get that decisive bit of luck to go your way. Since the international break we have done OK,” said the midfielder. “We showed character to win games at Bournemouth and again against Palace when we were 2-0 down.

“I feel like we just need to maintain these standards and I am certain we will qualify for the Champions League next season and we will also have a chance to win the FA Cup.”

Next up for Ilkay Gundogan and Manchester City is a Premier League encounter with Everton on Merseyside, as Pep Guardiola and his players take on David Moyes’ in-form side in what will be the final meeting between the two clubs at Goodison Park.

Guardiola will offer an update on the status of his squad when he addresses the media from the City Football Academy on Friday afternoon, with the likes of Phil Foden and Ederson expected to be at the forefront of questioning from journalists on the fitness front.