Pep Guardiola sends clear message to his Man City players as race for Champions League football ramps up | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has reminded his Man City players that they still have a lot to play for this season and not to take their foot off the gas.

The reigning champions are out of the title race for the first time in a long time, currently in fifth spot which would likely be enough to secure Champions league football for next season.

However, there is still a lot of time for things to change and things are very tight in the top half of the table.

Guardiola said: “We have to reach the best, highest possible level to qualify for Europe next season. Definitely.

“So we have to be consistent as much as possible.

“We know that we have ten games left, six at home, four away. At home we have tough, tough games like Brighton, of course Aston Villa, Bournemouth and you know most of the games are really really tough.

There are many teams that are still in the hunt for the Champions League qualification. Less than ten points separates third from tenth place and Guardiola admitted: “We have to do it better because there are many many teams with this target and and we missed an important chance last week.

“When I don’t like the way we played and we don’t win it’s fine.

“I like to deserve the success, I like to deserve it when we win and so far in games we have not deserved it.

City host Brighton on Saturday andGuardiola was asked if the Seagulls are in the race for the Champions League. He answered: “Yes, so is Bournemouth, so is Aston Villa, so is Newcastle, and maybe Fulham will be there. They are a fantastic team, so it is not a surprise.

“They are really good, consistent, they have incredible weapons in the way they play.

“It is not a disappointment to be here. It is like a challenge, if we are able to achieve that, you know, to qualify for the Champions League, it will be a huge success from my point of view.

“Many things have happened, it will be a huge success.

The Catalan concluded: “It is in our hands, it depends on us. We do not have to look at anything, just our performance.

“We do not have to recover eight or ten points to go there and wait for the opponents to lose. It is just about us.

“It depends on our behaviours and our football, if we will be there or not.”