'It's not a bad thing to fight to qualify for Champions League': Pep Guardiola

Guardiola has been a keen observer of the elite European competition since the Blues were eliminated at the knockout Phase play-offs by Real Madrid.

"I enjoy the games. They've been nice games, Tuesday in Villa Park was a fantastic game. Dortmund as well against Barcelona. They've been good games. Enjoy it and miss it of course, except I'm a person I don't complain much what life gives me in the good moments and especially not in the bad moments.

"This is sport, sometimes you don't perform well and don't deserve to be there. Hopefully next season we can be there with the big clubs in Europe and challenge them better than what we have this season.

"Challenge them like we have done in the last seven years like every season we were there. Even when we were out, we were competing well and keep going in that way. It's a motivation. It's not a bad thing to fight to qualify for the Champions League," Guardiola said in the pre-game press conference.

City have won the Premier League title in the last four seasons, a record-breaking achievement, but this term they are battling to finish in top five places to secure a Champions League berth.

Rather than bemoan that change of circumstances, Guardiola is relishing the fight insisting the side could actually have been a lot lower in the table had it not been for their recent resurgence.

"We could be in a very lower position in the Premier League if you have done few good things in the last four or five months People say we are fifth now but could be 11, 12, 13 or 14. I have no doubts. Okay we've not been good, but it's in our hands," he added.

Man City are currently in fifth place in the Premier League title and will take on Everton at the Goodison Park on Saturday. They sit two points behind Nottingham Forest and hold on to a one-point lead over Chelsea.