EPL Top 5: Aston Villa Clash Is Like A Cup Final – Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called on fans to treat today’s Premier League match against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium as a “final” as his side chase qualification for next season’s Champions League.

City, who beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday, sit fourth in the standings with 58 points from 33 matches, one ahead of seventh-placed Villa. The top five teams in the table qualify for the Champions League.

“It’s a final and we need our people, because I think our people want the Champions League next season again,” Guardiola told reporters.

“Hopefully they can help us from minute one. Don’t wait. Sometimes we are sloppy, sometimes we are not playing well.

“But it’s now we need them – we need them desperately, to support us, to make noise and be there all the time, because it’s a final, absolutely it’s a final for us.”

Villa claimed a 2-1 victory when the sides last met in December and Guardiola warned that to night’s fixture would not be easy, pointing to the Midlands club’s performance in their 5-4 aggregate defeat to Paris St Germain in the Champions League quarterfinals.

“(Villa) is a contender to qualify for the Champions League, and both games they play against my friend Luis Enrique and PSG, wow I was really impressed,” Guardiola said.

“They can play low block or not, but when they decide to go, with the weapons they have, the speed they have, the set pieces, and the way they organise…”