Pep Guardiola urges Man City fans to boost Champions League push

Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City’s fans to help push the team over the line in the race for a Champions League spot, starting with tomorrow’s crucial clash.

The battle for next season’s Champions League qualification couldn’t be tighter, with City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa all separated by just two points – five teams vying for three spots.

Man City, currently sitting in fourth place, will host seventh-placed Villa tomorrow.

Guardiola has described the match as “a final” and is calling on his side’s supporters to play their part in driving the team closer to their goal of securing qualification.

Guardiola even suggested that, despite failing to make it past the last 16 this season, Man City can go all the way and win it again next year, provided their fans get behind them.

Guardiola has described the Aston Villa match as “a final”

“We we need our people, because I think our people will win the Champions League next season again,” said Guardiola.

“Hopefully they can help us for the minute one.

“Don’t wait, because sometimes we’re sloppy, sometimes we’re not playing well, but it’s now that we need them. We need them desperately, to support us, to make noise and be there all the time, because it’s a final, absolutely it’s a final for us.”

Aston Villa demonstrated their quality this season by reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, a run that was ultimately ended by Paris Saint-Germain, despite Unai Emery’s side securing a 3-2 victory at Villa Park.

One player Pep Guardiola will be particularly wary of is Villa forward Morgan Rogers. The 22-year-old spent four years at Manchester City before joining Middlesbrough in 2023.

Now flourishing at Villa, Rogers has scored 14 goals this season, a form that earned him a senior England call-up. Guardiola is well aware of Rogers’ talent and the threat he poses to Man City.

“He was in the second team here and trained sometimes with us,” said Guardiola.

“We could see something, that he could do it, but the impact he’s had in Villa – what a player. We had an exceptional player here, absolutely.”