They have maintained their qualification for the past 14 consecutive seasons, will not be possible because of the present standing of the team in the Premier League.
Manchester City are seventh in the Premier League table.
After 17 matches, four points off Nottingham Forest for fourth position and a point behind Bournemouth for fifth. This precarious position has left Guardiola and his team facing the very real possibility of missing out on the most elite club competition in Europe.
Although England is at the top of the European Performance Spot table of UEFA, which would automatically mean a fifth Champions League spot for English clubs, Manchester City’s current position would place them outside qualification.
“When I told you about this possibility, people laughed,” Guardiola said. “They told me, ‘Qualifying for the Champions League isn’t such a big thing.’ But I know it is hard. It’s happened to other strong teams in this country—after winning for many years, they were not able to qualify.”
Manchester City’s streak in the Champions League rivals’ historical runs by other English giants. Only Arsenal, with 19 consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2017, and Manchester United, with 18 seasons from 1996 to 2014, boast longer qualification records.
However, even these superpowers have had some hard times. Arsenal had to wait six years before regaining a spot in the Champions League in 2023. Manchester United failed to qualify for the competition for five out of the last 11 seasons, and Liverpool was absent from the competition for six consecutive seasons between 2010 and 2017. Another Premier League giant, Chelsea, is currently in their second consecutive season outside Europe’s elite competition.
Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
The City’s recent performances have been quite unimpressive as they could garner only four points from their last eight Premier League matches. Guardiola’s side has lost nine times in their last 12 games in all competitions, a far cry from their accustomed standards.
Things can only get better, though. Manchester City face Everton, Leicester, and West Ham in their next three games. All those teams are among the bottom seven in the league. He says himself that this is the turning point to start turning things around.
These games are very important, Guardiola said. We have to start winning again. The only team that has been there consistently in the Champions League for years is Manchester City. But now we’re at risk. If we don’t qualify, it’s because we didn’t deserve it. We weren’t prepared, and we couldn’t address the issues we faced.
Surprise Rivalry
This season, Manchester City’s quest to achieve a top-four spot will not come without surprises as it seems not just traditional powerhouses will make things tight. Rather, even unexpected candidates have hopes to secure European qualifications, among whom are: Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Fulham, and Brighton.
“There are many contenders this season,” Guardiola said. “Qualification to the Champions League is necessary for every club. If we do not win the games, we will go out—it’s that simple.”
The Road Ahead
The path for Manchester City is quite demanding to find a ticket into the Champions League, but it’s still possible. Equipped with the most qualitative team available to him, Guardiola should gather all his strength to do a lot better during the remaining weeks of the competition to garner valuable points in qualification.
Now all the eyes will look to see if Guardiola’s team can meet up to the very hot challenge of this Premier League and continue their presence at the top tiers of Europe.
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