Man City Champions League hopes dicey, says Guardiola as his side slump to another loss at Nottingham Forest.
Man City chances of qualifying for the Champions League are hanging in the balance after their 1-0 defeat by their top-five rivals Nottingham Forest.
Callum Hudson Odoi’s winner demonstrated once again how Forest can absorb pressure and hit better teams on the break, limiting City only three chances on goal while controlling with nearly 70% of the ball.
The City manager praised Forest’s defensive skills but made it clear that his squad still has a chance to qualify for the tournament they won two years ago. The defending Premier League winners have lost five of their last nine games and won four, including two FA Cup games. Guardiola acknowledged that the team’s performance is too erratic.
“We have to win games,” he said. “We don’t win enough games in a row to be secure. We have 10 games left; we have to win a lot of games to qualify. This is how it is. To find a way, we have to play better. We have to do something; it doesn’t come from the sky.”
Nuno Espírito Santo isn’t looking past the upcoming match, while Guardiola was focused on the remainder of the season. In the race for Champions League qualifying, Forest leads sixth-place Brighton by five points, with fifth place virtually guaranteed to gain admission into Europe’s top league.
“We are very happy,” the Forest head coach said. “We did a very good game against a tough team. The defensive display was good. [We are] proud and happy.”
Forest have beaten Liverpool, Manchester United, Aston Villa and City this season while holding Arsenal recently. “We are talking about the best teams around,” Nuno said. “It always gives you the confidence that you can compete well against such good players.
“It allows us to grow as a team, but it doesn’t change the opponent ahead of you because the Premier League is very tough. Now, we look ahead to Ipswich [next Saturday]. Let’s rest because it was a tough week for us. Many of our players made 120 minutes-plus [also against Ipswich, in the FA Cup on Monday] and now 90 minutes today. Thank God they are healthy for now. Let’s keep them healthy, recover and prepare for the next one.
“The players are doing amazing, the fans are giving us help, so let’s keep on enjoying.”