Manchester City have their Champions League fate in their own hands | OneFootball

Following their 5-2 win over Crystal Palace at the Etihad, Manchester City have their Champions League fate in their own hands. That victory, coupled with several results over the weekend Premier League fixtures, puts Pep Guardiola’s side in a good position. Now it’s a position they must take advantage of to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

With six games to go in the season, Manchester City sit 5th on the Premier League table. Chelsea’s 2-all draw with Ipswich Town handed City the initiative in the race for Champions League qualification. Nottingham Forest was also beaten 1-nil by Everton, so now Pep Guardiola’s side is only two points behind third-placed Nottingham Forest. Newcastle United sit 4th on the Premier League table a point ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side with a game in hand. So City’s destiny is in their hands and they face two pivotal fixtures which could further shape their destiny for the 24/25 season.

Speaking after his team’s win over Crystal Palace, Pep Guardiola said that City’s destiny is in their hands. He added that his team now face two difficult fixtures against Everton and Aston Villa. Speaking on Manchester City’s Champions League chase, Guardiola said: “It’s not perfect, but it’s in our hands in the last six games to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Now we have two days off. The players must mentally rest. Then we prepare for four or five days before we go to Goodison Park [next Saturday] and an important week with Aston Villa then the FA Cup semi-final.”

Summary.

After such a testing season, Manchester City now knows the equation that they must solve to qualify for next season’s Champions League. If they can beat Everton and Aston Villa they’ll take a huge step forward in achieving that goal. City’s next two fixtures won’t be easy, but they could be season-defining. So often in the past Pep Guardiola’s side have not let the opportunity they have now slip. If they can seize the opportunity in front of them they’ll achieve their goals for this season. That would be something to take from what has been a disappointing 24/25 season for Pep Guardiola’s side.