Three trophies remain up for grabs for Manchester City but the Champions League is where Pep Guardiola feels he will be judged.
Pep Guardiola admitted his time at Manchester City will be judged on UEFA Champions League success, despite remaining in the hunt for three trophies this season.
Five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title chase, City face Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday as the push for a potential treble continues.
Before that, City will focus on their European campaign, with a last 16 draw with RB Leipzig after a 1-1 first-leg draw.
Last month, Riyad Mahrez’s opener was canceled out by Josco Guardiola’s second-half equaliser, so it was all to play for at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
City are many favorites to make it all the way to the UEFA Champions League this season, despite falling short in meeting those expectations in previous campaigns.
While Guardiola has won plenty of accolades during his time at the club, he admitted he will be judged on whether he can achieve long-awaited UEFA Champions League glory.
“Yes,” he said when asked if that was the case in the pre-match press conference, “it doesn’t mean I agree with it, but absolutely we will be judged by this competition.
“Every team has a lot of quality and a lot of strengths at this stage. Tomorrow we have to impose our game and do what we have to do. We have to win the game so it’s easy.”
“It’s not about how many goals we have to score, it’s just about winning the game – that’s what we have to do.”
While others will view the Champions League as the be-all and end-all for City, Guardiola has outlined the importance of competing in three competitions at this stage of the season.
“It’s really important to be alive in the last few months of the season, so you do your best to increase the chance to be in the competitions, to still be in Europe or the Premier League, to be close.” Arsenal,” he said.
“I don’t know any team, manager or player that plays in a competition and tries not to win. I’ve never met anyone like that. Everyone wants to win, there’s no exception here.”
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