Manchester City won the Community Shield - Pep Guardiola defends trophyless season

Pep Guardiola has defended Manchester City’s disappointing campaign, emphasizing that despite not winning any major trophies this season, the team still has the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League.

City have faced a challenging year, failing to secure any of the four major titles for the first time since Guardiola’s first season in 2016-17.

Currently, they sit 18 points behind Liverpool, who have already secured the Premier League title after winning the previous four seasons, and City’s early exits from the Champions League and EFL Cup have added to their frustrations.

The team’s season was further marred by a narrow 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on Saturday, marking Palace’s first major trophy.

For Manchester City, it was their second consecutive FA Cup final loss, with the previous year’s final also ending in defeat.

Despite these setbacks, Guardiola pointed out that City did win the Community Shield earlier in the season, beating Manchester United on penalties after a 1-1 draw, providing a silver lining to an otherwise bleak season.

“Of course, it’s important to qualify, but except for Newcastle, who won the Carabao Cup, Liverpool won the Premier League and Manchester City that won the Community Shield – the other teams didn’t win trophies,” Guardiola said.

Guardiola highlighted that while the focus is on qualifying for Europe’s top competition, City could still be among those lifting a trophy this season if they succeed in securing Champions League qualification.

He noted that only Newcastle, Liverpool, and City have claimed trophies, with many other top teams, like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham, still competing for European spots without having won titles.

As the season approaches its conclusion, Liverpool and Arsenal have already secured their places in the Champions League. City, however, has dropped to sixth in the standings after recent results.

A victory against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday could move them up to third, just one point above Newcastle, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, with only one game remaining for each team.