Manchester City drew against Southampton in the Premier League on May 10, at St Mary’s Stadium.
Man City’s underwhelming performances this season have led to them dropping points in the Premier League table, as well as their elimination from the EFL Cup and then the Champions League.
After losing those chances, head coach Pep Guardiola stated that his squad aim to make the most of what’s left and will focus on finishing among the top five in the Premier League table to ensure a Champions League qualification for next season.
Following their goalless draw with Southampton last weekend, Man City dropped down a rank in the league table, currently standing fourth with 65 points and two matches remaining for the ongoing season.
Man City have advanced to the FA Cup final, which is their only shot at silverware for this season. They will face Crystal Palace on Saturday, May 17, at Wembley Stadium.
Questions surfaced as to whether Guardiola would make changes in his approach and lineup for the upcoming final, especially after splitting points with Southampton on Saturday. Now, Guardiola has given some insight into what he and the squad at Etihad plan on for the FA Cup final.
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What did Pep Guardiola say about Man City’s upcoming FA Cup final?
Man City’s draw with Southampton, who are last in the Premier League table and are most likely to be relegated, came as a shock to many. Guardiola’s lineup included his key players, while it also saw Erling Haaland’s return to the pitch from injury.
However, Man City failed to open their scoring against Southampton, adding to doubts about their chances in the FA Cup final.
Following the Premier League clash, Guardiola was asked by reporters if his squad’s recent display would affect his decisions about the FA Cup final line-up.
The Catalan manager said that the Premier League is ‘much more’ of a priority than the FA Cup and mentioned (comments via City Xtra) that he will ‘decide during the week.’
“I didn’t think about it. The priority is the Premier League, much more than the FA Cup. And now we have one week. Saturday until next Saturday, training, one or two days off to refresh, and after we prepare the final. One game at a time, and we will see how is the team and the way we want to play. And we will decide during the week…” responded Guardiola.
Man City will be looking for a win in both Premier League games left for the ongoing campaign to meet their objective of finishing in the top five. Chelsea and Aston Villa, who stand in fifth and sixth in the table, respectively, have a two-point difference from Guardiola’s side, making it a close contest.
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