Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City fans to make noise and treat the remaining five Premier League games like cup finals.
Having won the last four league titles as part of an unprecedented run of domestic dominance, City are aiming to reclaim their position at the top of European football this season.
Guardiola's side are fourth, having recovered from a dreadful end to the 2024 season, but still have significant work to do in the fight for a Champions League place with just two points separating five teams.
One of those opponents is Aston Villa, who City face on Tuesday. Guardiola was impressed by Villa's performance as they lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals last week.
Asked if the Villa game could be compared to a cup final, Guardiola replied: “Absolutely. After the Aston Villa game, there will be a game against Wolves, then Southampton, because every game is important.”
“But Villa are Champions League contenders and when you watch them play against my friend Luis Enrique and PSG, I was really impressed.
“They can play in a low block, but when they decide to attack, with their power, their speed and their standards, it’s a final and we need the support of our fans because I’m sure they want to win the Champions League again next season and hopefully they can wait from the first minute.
“Sometimes we are slow, sometimes we don't play our best football, but we really need them to support us, to make noise and to be there for the whole game because it is a final. For us it is definitely a final.”
Jeremy Doku is hoping to start against Villa after coming on as a substitute in his last three games against Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Everton.
“I was very unfair to him in the last matches,” Guardiola admitted.
“But the only reason he hasn't played recently is because we haven't used wingers in the last few games. We've had f
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
