Despite guiding Manchester City to their third consecutive FA Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at Wembley, manager Pep Guardiola emphatically stated that winning the competition would not be enough to salvage what he considers a “not good” season for his side. His comments came on the same day that Liverpool’s dominant 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur officially ended City’s four-year reign as Premier League champions.
Goals from Rico Lewis in the opening minutes and Josko Gvardiol in the second half secured City’s place in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on May 17th. While the club is also on track to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five Premier League finish, Guardiola was unequivocal in his assessment of the campaign. �
“No, and I have said that many times,” Guardiola responded when asked if FA Cup glory and Champions League qualification would constitute a successful season. “This season has not been good. We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool, so come on, this season has not been good.”
He further pointed to their Champions League performance, questioning their usual dominance in the competition. “Look at the Champions League. How many games did we win? One or two? And we have always been a machine in that.”
Guardiola insisted that securing a top-five finish and Champions League qualification should not mask the team’s shortcomings in the league. “We cannot confuse that the season has been good if we finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League. The club has to take the decisions, the right ones, for next season to be better.”
Currently sitting fourth in the Premier League, a significant 21 points behind champions Liverpool, City are also just one point ahead of Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, who each have a game in hand in the battle for a top-five spot. �
Despite his critical assessment of the season as a whole, Guardiola acknowledged the significance of reaching another FA Cup final. “Being in another final speaks so highly about the volume of generation of players and this club. And we are very pleased we are in the final,” he said, having previously lifted the trophy twice with City.
However, he reiterated that the Premier League defines their success. “But the season is defined by the Premier League, and being consistent and this season that couldn’t happen. The most important thing is qualification for the Champions League, and we have to be calm now and recover.”
Looking ahead to the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, who they convincingly defeated 5-2 earlier in April, Guardiola remained cautious. He was impressed by Palace’s 3-0 semi-final victory over Aston Villa and warned against any complacency. “We have four finals to play, and then an unbelievable game against Palace, and we saw yesterday how good they are,” Guardiola concluded. �
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