Pep Guardiola is relishing the fight to secure Champions League football now his players must lift | OneFootball

Although the 24/25 season has been a disappointment for Manchester City there is still plenty for Pep Guardiola’s side to play for. City have made the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and a testing tie against Bournemouth awaits Manchester City. They are also in a battle to secure Champions League football for next season. Speaking ahead of his team’s must-win Premier League fixture against an in-form Brighton Pep Guardiola is relishing the fight his team is in. Now it’s up to his players to follow his lead.

Pep Guardiola spoke of the battle his team is in to qualify for next season’s Champions League. He explained: “It’s a big fight and not like a disappointment to be here, it’s a challenge in that if we’re able to achieve that and qualify for the Champions League, it’d be a huge success from my point of view. For many things happen, it would be a huge success. I don’t have it like ‘oh we’re playing for that’ it’s completely the opposite. Sometimes there are seasons in life and in sport where you have to live that.”

“It’s in our hands, it depends on us. We don’t have to recover eight or ten points to go there and wait for the opponent to lose many games, it’s just about us and depends on our behaviours and our football if we’re there or not. We have to reach the best level to qualify for Europe next season, definitely, we have to be consistent as much as possible.”

The Manchester City players now have to match the fight of Pep Guardiola to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

Despite Manchester City’s poor season Pep Guardiola has constantly been up for the challenge. You could say the same about the City players, although the quality hasn’t been there often enough to match that fight. Heading into Saturday’s must-win clash against Brighton the City players have to match the fight of their manager. If they can do that and raise their performance it may set them up for tomorrow’s match at the Etihad and for the run home.

It would be a disaster if Manchester City missed out on qualification for next season’s Champions League. But if they do miss out it will be because they don’t deserve to qualify for Europe’s most prestigious club competition. So the challenge is there for Pep Guardiola’s side to earn the right to participate in next season’s Champions League. That begins tomorrow against Brighton in what looms as a crucial game for both teams. If the City players can match the fight of Pep Guardiola and bring the quality of performance they are capable of it should set them up for what lies ahead. If the quality and fight aren’t there, then Manchester City will likely miss out on what is a base minimum requirement for this season for Pep Guardiola’s side.

There is no doubt that Pep Guardiola is up for the challenge that lies ahead of his team. Now, his players must match their manager’s fight and determination. That factor may be key in Manchester City’s efforts to get something out of a difficult season. It will be interesting to see if that is there in tomorrow’s Premier League fixture at the Etihad against an in-form Brighton.