Man City coach Pep Guardiola has urged his players to see their Premier League clash against Aston as a final.
The Cityzens will welcome Aston Villa to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday as both sides battle it out for a Champions League slot.
Man City are in fourth with 58 points while Aston Villa occupy the seventh with 57 points.
Guardiola is calling on the club’s supporters to support the team as they aim to seal a Champions League qualification.
He said: “We we need our people, hopefully they can help us for the minute one.
“Don’t wait, because sometimes we’re sloppy, sometimes we’re not playing well, but it’s now that 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. And after Aston Villa, it will be the game against Wolves and it will be a final again. Then Southampton, because every point, every game, counts.”
Aston Villa earned an impressive 4-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday, their 11th victory in their last 13 matches in all competitions.
Guardiola was impressed with their performance against PSG in the Champions League.
He said: “They’re a contender to qualify for the Champions League and you see both games they played against my friend Luis Enrique, against Paris Saint-Germain — wow! I was really, really impressed.
“They can play in a low block or not, but when they decide to go forward, with the weapons they have, with the speed they have, the set-pieces, and the way they organise, it’s a final and we need our people because I think our people want the Champions League again next season, and hopefully they can wait from minute one.
“Sometimes we are slow, sometimes we are not playing good, but we need them desperately to support us, to make noise and being there all the time because it’s a final. Absolutely it is a final for us.”
Similarly, Aston Villa coach, Unai Emeryc said the team is focused on facing Manchester City while praising Guardiola’s team.
He said: “We can’t stop. We are involved in our key moment in the season and through the Premier League we are trying to get our first objective in 38 matches playing and tomorrow is the 34th.
“Man City, one of the teams contending to be in the top four or five, even to win the title but this year is for them a little bit more difficult, but my respect for them is massive like always and we are ready.
“Every player and every worker here in Aston Villa is so, so focused in the moment we are and tomorrow we’ll prepare the match as best as possible with the players that will be available for tomorrow.”
The race for the top five is tight one, as only two points separate Newcastle in third and Aston Villa in seventh, with five matches to go.
