“There are nine finals” – Nico Gonzalez sends Champions League warning to Manchester City squad after Brighton draw | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez has sent a timely reminder to his teammates on what they need to do to secure Champions League football next season.

City currently sit in fifth place in the league table – six point adrift of third-placed Nottingham Forest and one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea – with nine league games left to play.

A week on from a crushing 1-0 loss away at Forest, the Premier League champions’ top-four hopes were dealt another blow this weekend as Brighton and Hove Albion secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Since his January arrival, City’s signing Nico Gonzalez has deputised in the number six midfield position in the absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.

“There are still so many games left,” said Gonzalez, speaking on City’s chances of a top-four league finish after the Blues shared the spoils with Brighton on Saturday, as quoted by The Mirror.

“There are nine finals. We’ve talked a lot about this, that there are nine finals left. Every game is a final for us. We talk about the feeling that every game is a final, the feeling that we have to give everything and I think you could see that every player ran and fought for every ball – as if it was the last game of the season.

“We played the game as if it was a final and I’m pretty sure if we play like this, good results will come. Obviously it was difficult, but I think we did a great job, we gave everything and that’s the most important thing.”

Gonzalez, who prefers to be known as ‘Nico’, is one of four signings Manchester City made as part of a net £181.5 million outlay in the January transfer window.

The Spaniard added: “The intensity and the attitude (against Brighton) from everyone was perfect, so if we continue to play like this, wins are going to come.

“At (Manchester) City, every year, in every game, you have to win, you have to give everything, and I don’t care if there are rumours outside. What I care about every game is to fight, to try to win and what people talk about outside of the dressing room, we don’t care.

“I’m so happy to be here (at City). I feel great, I feel amazing to play here, to play in maybe the best team in the last 10 years in the world, so I’m very proud to be here and I try to give everything every day.”

City next face Bournemouth in a FA Cup quarter-final tie as they look to book a semi-final date at Wembley in a bid to secure some sort of silverware this season and bring home their eighth FA Cup title.