Man City will be back competing for biggest prizes next season – Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is convinced Manchester City will be back competing for the biggest prizes next season after learning from this year’s underwhelming campaign.

After four-successive Premier League titles and a glorious treble in 2023, City are left challenging for the relative consolation prizes of Champions League qualification and the FA Cup this term.

“I’ve said many times, the season has not been good, regardless (of whether) we reach the final or we go to the Champions League,” said City manager Guardiola, whose side face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday.

Is this the BEST race for European places we've ever seen?

With only FOUR points between third and seventh, it's easy to see why it could be!

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 25, 2025

“Of course, we would avoid bigger damage for the club, but what dictates whether the season is good is the Premier League all the time because it gives you, week by week, happiness, good momentum.

“Next season will be better. I think everyone has learned the lesson. I think we’ll compete in the Premier League a little bit better than it happened this season.”

City moved into third in the table with victory over top-five rivals Aston Villa on Tuesday but the battle remains tight, with Forest, Chelsea and Newcastle also in close contention.

City find themselves in this position largely because of a damaging run in the autumn and early winter when they won just one of 13 games in all competitions and lost nine.

Nottingham Forest and Manchester City have met in the league twice this season, and have a victory each to their name

Who will be leaving Wembley Stadium with the win this weekend?