Guardiola warns Man City risk missing out on Champions League

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed concern that his team’s recent slump has put their qualification for next season’s Champions League in jeopardy.

City, currently sitting in 7th place in the Premier League, find themselves outside the top six at Christmas, trailing behind unexpected contenders such as Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth.

The reigning Premier League champions host Everton today at Etihad Stadium in a crucial Boxing Day fixture as they attempt to arrest a dismal run of form that has seen them collect just four points from their last eight league matches—an unenviable record shared by no other team in the division during this period.

“When I said before, people laughed,” Guardiola admitted. “They said, ‘Qualifying for the Champions League is not a big success.’ But I know it because it happens with clubs in this country. They were dominant for many years, and after, they were many years not qualifying for the Champions League.”

City face a challenging festive fixture list, with matches against Everton (today), Leicester City (December 29), and West Ham (January 4). All three opponents are in the Premier League’s bottom seven, offering Guardiola’s side an opportunity to turn their fortunes around. However, their recent record of nine defeats in their last 12 games in all competitions has cast significant doubt over their ability to regain form.

Guardiola didn’t shy away from acknowledging the risk: “The one team that has been in the Champions League for the past years has been Manchester City. Now we are at risk, of course we are. Definitely.”

This season, City’s main threats come from unexpected challengers, including Aston Villa, Newcastle, Fulham, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth.

“There are a lot of contenders,” Guardiola said. “For every club, it is so important, and if we are not winning games, we will be out. If we don’t qualify, it is because we don’t deserve it—because we were not prepared and because we had a lot of problems and didn’t solve them.”