Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described his side’s upcoming Premier League match against Aston Villa as “a final,” highlighting the crucial importance of the fixture in the race for Champions League qualification.
With five games remaining in the season, the battle to secure a top five finish – the threshold for Champions League qualification next season – is intensely tight. While Arsenal appears well-placed to join Liverpool in Europe’s elite competition, the next five teams in the table are separated by a mere two points.
Manchester City currently sit fourth, just one point ahead of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who are in seventh position. The two sides will meet at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday evening in a game with significant implications for their European ambitions.
Speaking ahead of the match, Mr. Guardiola emphasized the quality of Aston Villa, who progressed to the Champions League quarterfinals this season, exceeding Manchester City’s performance in the competition. “They are a contender to qualify for the Champions League,” he stated, adding, “You see the game they played against my friend Luis Enrique [Paris St-Germain manager] – wow, I was really, really impressed.”
Mr. Guardiola acknowledged Aston Villa’s tactical flexibility and attacking threat. “They can play a low block and play away, but when they decide to go, with the weapons they have, the speed they have, the set-pieces, they are incredibly well organised,” he said.
Given the stakes, the Manchester City manager has called on the club’s supporters to create a strong atmosphere at the Etihad. “It is a final and we need our people because I think our people want the Champions League next season again and hopefully, they can help us from the first minute,” Mr. Guardiola urged. “Sometimes we are sloppy, sometimes we are not playing good, now we need them desperately to support us, to make noise and be there all the time because it’s absolutely a final for us.”
Adding further significance to their encounter, Manchester City and Aston Villa could potentially meet again in the FA Cup final in May, should they both win their respective semi-final matches this weekend against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace.
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