Guardiola tempers expectations: Target is to reach FA Cup semis

Manchester City head to Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday hoping to avenge the defeat that sparked their stunning decline this season. 

City’s 32-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to a shock end when they were beaten 2-1 at Bournemouth in November. Coming just days after a League Cup last-16 exit at Tottenham, it was the first time City had lost successive games in all competitions since September 2023. 

City, champions for the previous four seasons, surrendered pole position in the Premier League to Liverpool as a result of their loss at the Vitality Stadium and won only once in their next 11 games in all competitions. Looking back at City’s first-ever defeat to Bournemouth, the Spanish coach acknowledged he could see the signs of their impending collapse. 

“It was our first defeat in the league this season. That was the first game where we were not competitive in terms of the standards we required,” Guardiola said. 
Despite enduring a forgettable season, an FA Cup triumph would salvage a little pride. “The target is to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for seven years in a row. Of course with the season we have [had], to come back to Wembley [for the final] would be nice,” said the Catalan.

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