Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that his side reaching the final of the FA Cup does not salvage their poor season.
On the day which Guardiola and his City team were dethroned as Premier League champions, after winning the title in the last four seasons, Liverpool sealed a record-equalling 20th accolade.
The Reds recorded a 5-1 triumph against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, and at similar time, City secured their ticket back to Wembley after defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the English capital in the semi-finals of the game’s oldest cup competition.
Rico Lewis netted the opener just two minutes into the game before Josko Gvardiol doubled the score in the second half.
The Cityzens – who are also on track to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League via a top five finish in the league – will battle Crystal Palace in their third consecutive FA Cup final on May 17th.
However, Guardiola refuted the claim that FA Cup triumph and Champions League qualification marks a successful season.
”No, and I have said that many times,” the Spaniard responded.
“This season has not been good. We are a thousand million points behind Liverpool, so come on, this season has not been good.
“Look at the Champions League. How many games did we win? One or two? And we have always been a machine in that.
“We cannot confuse that the season has been good if we finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League.
“The club has to take the decisions, the right ones, for next season to be better.”
City sit 21 points behind Liverpool in the league and one point clear of Chelsea and Forest, who also have a game in hand, in the race for the top five spots.
“Being in another final speaks so highly about the volume of generation of players and this club. And we are very pleased we are in the final,” continued Guardiola, who has won the FA Cup on two occasions in his City reign.
“But the season is defined by the Premier League, and being consistent and this season that couldn’t happen.
“The most important thing is qualification for the Champions League, and we have to be calm now and recover.”
