Pep Guardiola states that Manchester City, in pursuit of the Champions League, face “ten finals” before the season concludes following their defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Man City suffered a 1-0 loss at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon, leaving them four points adrift of third-place Forest after 28 Premier League matches.
A loss allows fifth-placed Chelsea to surpass the champions in the Premier League standings when they welcome Leicester City on Sunday.
It has been a tough season for the Citizens, who are sorely lacking their key player and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
Saturday's outcome versus Forest marks their ninth in the Premier League this season and puts City in an unexpected struggle for Champions League qualification.
Speaking after the defeat, City manager Guardiola acknowledged that his team has “ten finals” to compete in if they aim to secure a top-five finish, which is likely sufficient for qualification to Europe’s top tournament.
“A close match, we managed transitions well, we created shooting opportunities but lacked precision,” Pep remarked. "In the latter half, there were transitions, and during one of those transitions, they scored."
"They protected their goal very effectively." We had opportunities, but at the last moment, we were unable to achieve it.
"They are tough opponents to compete against." That is the reason they find themselves in their current situation.
"We created three or four opportunities in the first half." The second half was a bit more constrained.
"We allowed one opportunity at the near post, so ultimately the advantage was theirs."
"We need to win games to qualify in the ten matches we have, then we can proceed to the next."
"We were aware the match would be challenging." Each season, the Premier League improves continually.
"We have ten finals, and we'll begin the next one soon."
Callum Hudson-Odoi netted the sole goal of the match, defeating Ederson at his near post.
The ex-Chelsea winger remarked post-match that “the locker room is going wild.”
“It’s wild [in the locker room],” he stated. “A result like that against a fantastic team is impressive for us."
“You could observe throughout the game that we struggled and fought for each ball.” We encountered chances and seized one. The locker room is going wild.
"It is an important victory, but it is also yet another triumph." Each match is its own separate occasion, and we must strive to secure three points.
“We understand our position in the standings, but it’s crucial to stay modest while also being eager about what lies ahead.”
“We understand we are nearing our goal and we are excited about it.”
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