Pep Guardiola: Manchester City faces a ‘threat’ of not securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League due to a decline in performance.

Pep Guardiola has issued a stark warning to Manchester City, stating that his side is “at risk” of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification if their current dismal form persists. As the Premier League gears up for the festive fixtures, City finds themselves languishing in seventh place, just four points adrift of the coveted top four.

Their Boxing Day encounter with Everton at the Etihad Stadium looms large, but the statistics paint a worrying picture: the team has managed to secure victory in only one of their last eight league outings. The Catalan manager is acutely aware of the cutthroat nature of English football, where fortunes can shift dramatically.

“When I said before, people laughed,” Guardiola remarked. “They said, ‘qualifying for the Champions League is not a big success.’ But I know it because it happens with clubs in this country. They were dominant for many years, and after they were many years not qualifying for the Champions League.”

Guardiola’s concerns are not unfounded. Manchester City has enjoyed a consistent presence in the Champions League since the 2009/10 season, when they last finished outside the top four. However, with their recent form, the spectre of missing out is becoming increasingly real. Currently, they sit a daunting 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool, following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in their last outing.

The race for Champions League qualification is heating up, with Nottingham Forest currently occupying the fourth spot, while both Aston Villa and Bournemouth sit above City in the league standings. Guardiola acknowledges the fierce competition, stating, “There are a lot of contenders. For every club, it is so important and if we are not winning games, we will be out.”

He added a sobering note: “If we don’t qualify it is because we don’t deserve it, because we were not prepared and because we had a lot of problems and didn’t solve them.” As City prepares to face Everton, the pressure is on to turn their fortunes around and secure their place among Europe’s elite once again.