For Man City, Top-Four Finish Feels Like A Trophy – Matheus Nunes

‎Matheus Nunes says Champions League qualification would be Manchester City’s “Premier League trophy” after a poor campaign by their stellar standards.

‎The Portugal international netted a dramatic late winner against Aston Villa on Tuesday, helping Pep Guardiola’s team climb to third in the standings, four points clear of seventh-placed Villa.

‎Liverpool is on the verge of winning the Premier League title, while Arsenal comfortably holds second place. Meanwhile, five clubs are vying for the three remaining spots in next season’s top European club competition.

‎Nottingham Forest, Newcastle, and Chelsea are the other sides in the mix for a top-five finish.

‎City, who aimed to secure their fifth consecutive league title at the beginning of the season, experienced a damaging decline in form starting in late October.

‎However, they still have the chance to conclude their season positively, as they face Forest in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, just days after their crucial victory over Unai Emery’s Villa.

‎”This is our Premier League trophy now, to qualify for the Champions League,” Nunes said after scoring his first league goal for City in his second season at the club.

‎”I think it’s massively important for us, in terms of everything, the club, in terms of the players, the mentality.”

‎The 26-year-old admitted, though, that Champions League qualification for the 15th season running and FA Cup glory would not equal a good campaign.

‎”The club’s standards are much higher than this,” he said.

‎”We know that there are not the standards we want this club to be at.

‎”But this is our reality now and we have to accept it. And we just have to go for it like it’s the Champions League, the Premier League trophy.”