Guardiola: Man City in danger of not qualifying for Champions League

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City are in danger of missing out on a Champions League place for next season after their recent poor form.

City are playing their 14th consecutive season in the top-tier of European competition, but currently sit seventh in the Premier League, four points behind Nottingham Forest in fourth place.

Only Arsenal between 1998 and 2017 and Manchester United between 1996 and 2014 have ever had longer runs of Champions League qualification among English clubs.

Guardiola’s side have won just one of their last eight Premier League matches and have earned the fewest points of any side in the top-flight since the start of November (four).

“When I said before, people laughed,” Guardiola said.

“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. 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.”

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— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 26, 2024

England are currently top of UEFA’s European Performance spot table, meaning they are well-placed to secure a fifth Champions League spot for next season.

However, with City’s current position, that would still not be enough to qualify, as they sit one point below fifth-place Bournemouth.

“There are a lot of contenders,” Guardiola added. “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.”

City face Everton in their next match on Boxing Day, before finishing 2024 with a trip to Leicester City on Sunday.