Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola admitted that it has been a bad season for the club even if they qualify for the Champions League next year. The Sky Blues are currently in third place in the standings with 61 points and have only four games remaining.

The Cityzens registered a 2-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Tuesday after Matheus Nunes’s 94th-minute goal, which has helped the move close to the Champions League qualification.

“This season has been bad,” Guardiola said. “It doesn’t matter whether we reach the [FA Cup] final, or qualification for the Champions League. The reality is that what determines, what makes you feel the season is good is the Premier League, not the Champions League, not FA Cups. It’s that consistency in the Premier League.

“But it happens, sometimes you have bad seasons. The level of the teams [in the Premier League] is outstanding.”

Guardiola was pumped up after Nunes scored the match-winning goal for the team.

“I was so happy. I have to admit it,” Guardiola said.

The Spaniard admitted they have a lot of pressure on their shoulders and getting a positive result in the next four matches would be crucial for them.

“We have a lot of pressure for the club to go to the Champions League,” said Guardiola, whose City team won the competition for the first time in 2023.

“If we win the next four games, it will have been so important,” he added.

On the other hand, Aston Villa slipped to seventh place in the standings and has a total of 57 points.

“Of course, today we lost, but there are still matches to play, still points to play [for]. We will have chances to get the Champions League,” Villa manager Unai Emery said. “I am happy how we are reacting, how every player is facing the moment we are [in].”

Manchester City will face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday.