Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has labelled Tuesday night’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa as “a final”, underlining the high stakes as both sides battle for Champions League qualification.
With just five games remaining, the race for a top-five finish is tighter than ever. Arsenal and Liverpool appear set for automatic qualification, but the next five clubs are separated by a mere two points — and City currently sit fourth, only one point above seventh-placed Villa.
“It is a final and we need our people,” Guardiola urged ahead of the Etihad showdown. “I think our people want the Champions League next season again and hopefully they can help us from the first minute.”
Guardiola was full of praise for Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals this season — going further than City, who exited at the play-off stage. He pointed to their tactical versatility and attacking firepower as real threats.
“You see the game they played against my friend Luis Enrique [PSG boss] — wow, I was really, really impressed,” Guardiola said. “They can play low block and play away, but when they decide to go, with the weapons they have… they are incredibly well organised.”
City and Villa could also cross paths again in May, with both teams in the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend — against Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace respectively.
With Champions League places and silverware on the line, Guardiola’s men face a defining stretch. And Tuesday night’s clash could well shape their season.
