Even though Manchester City has come very close to the biggest titles, coach Pep Guardiola has always said that his first goal is to qualify for the Champions League.
People often mock or ignore Guardiola's point of view. However, this season, that has become completely fitting as a place in the Champions League is Man City's only hope. The Citizens are fighting hard to ensure this season is just a disappointment, not a disaster.
It is Assured that, despite the problems, Man City will still easily enter the top 4 of the Premier League and have a place in the Champions League next season. A top 5 position is still enough if the Premier League has a good ranking on the UEFA rankings.
But after Man City's 2-2 home draw with Brighton, finishing in the top 4 or 5 is not guaranteed. With 9 remaining matches, The Citizens are in fifth place and stuck in a battle with 6 other teams to win a place in the Champions League.
"I'm always confident. I see positivity in every situation. 9 more matches are the end of the season. These are 9 finals. We don't lose and if we can't win, let's try to stabilize. We had really good moments. We worked hard until the last minute and got 1 point" - Guardiola was still optimistic when asked about a place in the Champions League.
Within a week, Man City realized how difficult it would be to reach the Champions League. They also suffered a minimal loss to Nottingham Forest last weekend. Guardiola said the performance against Brighton was "very good, a lot, a lot" but it ended in a draw.
Man City have now conceded 40 goals this season, more than in any other campaign under Guardiola. It is only March with John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji all absent, it is likely that their defense will continue to have to patch the curb.
Guardiola is proud of Man City's achievement of qualifying for the Champions League for 14 consecutive seasons. But after two consecutive punches - a defeat to Nottingham and a draw with Brighton - The Citizens could collapse at any time.
Before the season, it was difficult to imagine that Man City could not participate in the Premier League title race. Even their elimination from the Champions League play-off round is considered a surprise. The final humiliation for Man City will be the prospect of missing out on a place in the Champions League.
Guardiola insists he is still confident, but there is clearly work to be done.
