Guardiola Says City’s Season Has Been “Bad” Despite Late Win Over Villa

By: Gyang Dakwo

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said this season has been a disappointment, even if his team secures a place in the Champions League.

City grabbed a dramatic 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, with Matheus Nunes scoring the winner in the 94th minute. The victory pushed City up to third place in the Premier League, moving them closer to a Champions League spot. However, they remain 18 points behind league leaders Liverpool, ending hopes of a fifth straight title.

“This season has been bad,” said Guardiola after the match. “It does not matter whether we reach the FA Cup final or qualify for the Champions League. What makes a season good is winning the Premier League. That is the reality. Not the Champions League or FA Cup.”

Guardiola admitted that sometimes teams go through tough seasons and pointed to the high quality of the Premier League. “The level of the teams is outstanding,” he said.

City will now turn their focus to the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Crystal Palace will face Aston Villa in the other semi-final on Saturday.

Tuesday’s match was heading for a draw after Marcus Rashford equalised from the penalty spot, cancelling out an earlier goal from Bernardo Silva. But Nunes struck deep into added time to seal all three points for City.

Club captain Kevin De Bruyne, who recently announced he will leave City at the end of the season, had a strong game. He created six chances, more than any other player on the pitch. According to stats company Opta, it was the 60th time since 2003-04 that De Bruyne had created five or more chances in a single Premier League match — more than any other player in that period.

De Bruyne, who said he was surprised the club did not offer him a new contract, made headlines again on Tuesday when he chose not to walk to the bench after being substituted. Instead, he sat on an advertising board near the pitch and continued giving instructions to his teammates.