Pep Guardiola has urged his players to demonstrate their resilience and strength in the crucial Premier League match against Bournemouth on Tuesday at 20:00 UK time at the Etihad Stadium. Following a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, Guardiola emphasizes the need to quickly recover and focus on securing a vital win that could restore Manchester City to third place in the league with just one game remaining in the season.
Before the weekend, City was third in the table, but recent wins by Aston Villa and Chelsea have pushed them down to sixth. A victory over Bournemouth, considered a “massive, important” game by Guardiola, would propel them back into the Champions League qualification spots, which are awarded to the top five teams at season’s end. Guardiola highlighted the importance of this challenge, saying, “We have to come back… now we have to prove how strong we are with our people.” He also noted that despite the recent loss, he believes the team played well and deserves to be in the Champions League alongside Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest.
The manager is focused solely on these remaining fixtures rather than summer transfer plans, aiming to secure Champions League qualification before turning attention elsewhere.
This will also be Kevin De Bruyne’s final home game for Manchester City, adding an emotional layer to the encounter.