Pep Guardiola has described Manchester City’s remaining seven Premier League fixtures as “finals” as the defending champions face an unexpected battle to secure Champions League qualification.
City have dropped out of the top five for the first time in nearly three months following a concerning run of form that has seen them win just three of their last eight league matches. Their recent goalless draw against Manchester United particularly troubled Guardiola, who admitted the performance “was not good enough.”
“With 21 points, we’ll be there, that’s for sure,” Guardiola stated. “Now it’s not very complicated, we don’t have 15, 20 games, now we have seven games left. It’s a final every single game.”
The Spanish manager has never failed to qualify for the Champions League during his 18-year managerial career, except for his first season when he managed Barcelona’s B team. This remarkable streak now faces its most serious threat as City battle with Newcastle, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and other challengers for European places.
“We have to win a lot of games to qualify, because of Newcastle and the quality of Aston Villa,” Guardiola emphasized. “Some spirit is back. Some games were good – United no – and the spirit is there. The spirit will sustain us.”
Meanwhile, City are navigating a complex transition period with new Director of Football Hugo Viana officially starting work this week, replacing the long-serving Txiki Begiristain. Guardiola has encouraged Viana to bring fresh perspectives: “I’ve asked him to forget about what we have done. We need your vision. You don’t come here to just follow what we’ve done in the past.”
The club also awaits judgment on their hearing with the Premier League regarding alleged financial impropriety, adding another layer of uncertainty to their future planning. This combination of on-field struggles and off-field challenges has created an unusually precarious situation for a club that has dominated English football for much of the past decade.
