Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says his performance as manager this season has been “really poor”.
City, Premier League champions in each of the last four seasons, are fifth in the table and 22 points behind leaders Liverpool with nine matches remaining.
Guardiola, who has guided City to six Premier League titles since joining in 2016, has never finished a season lower than third with any club during his managerial career.
Asked how he rates his own work as manager this term, Guardiola, 54, said: “This season? Really poor.
” The opponents never gave us a red carpet to win the titles that we won in the past. My duty was to overcome the situation much better than I have done]this season]. “
City are hoping to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the seventh consecutive season when they take on Bournemouth in the quarter-finals on Sunday at the Vitality Stadium (16: 30 BST).
But Guardiola says even victory in the competition and qualifying for the Champions League by finishing in the top four would not make amends for their failed Premier League title defence.
” Of course it would be nice to arrive in the final of the FA Cup and win it, and qualify for the Champions League, “said Guardiola.
” That would be a big success but the season has been poor and it’s not going to change.
“Our standards and many things were not good, this is the reality. That’s not going to change for the fact we win one title or qualify for the Champions League.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka claimed her second title of the year by beating Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 in the women’s Miami Open final.
There were seven breaks of serve in a hard-fought first set, which swung the way of both players, before the Belarusian won a game to love on Pegula’s serve.
Sabalenka’s power got her out of trouble on a number of occasions while Pegula’s struggles to hold her own serve, along with her inability to deal with the force of her opponent’s game, proved the world number four’s downfall.
Her frustration grew as Sabalenka took control of the second set. The 26-year-old broke Pegula at 5-2 up to win the tournament without dropping a set as she hit 31 winners in the match, compared to 12 from her rival.
Sabalenka won the Brisbane International in January but had gone into the Miami Open final having lost her previous two finals, with defeats by American Madison Keys at the Australian Open and Mirra Andreeva at Indian Wells two weeks ago.
“I’m speechless”, said Sabalenka, who beat Pegula in last year’s US Open final. “The last couple of finals were really tough and tight and close ones for me, so going into this one I was so focused on myself.
” I was super focused and playing point by point. It feels super special and really happy with the title – the first in Miami.
“It was back and forth the whole match. I was fighting no matter what and, even after each game she broke, I was fighting back and breaking her back”.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka won the Miami Open on Saturday, beating American Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 in the WTA 1000 final at Hard Rock Stadium.
The title was the Belarusian’s first at Miami and her second of the season following her January triumph in Brisbane.
Having lost the final at Indian Wells to Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva earlier this month, Sabalenka was determined not to fall at the last hurdle again.
“Winning this trophy is super special”, said Sabalenka, who paid tribute to Pegula’s performance.
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Jessica Pegula (L) of the United States and Aryna Sabalenka embrace following the women’s final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium on March 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
Both players struggled to hold their serve in the first set, with Pegula causing Sabalenka some trouble when she brought her up to the net.
But the momentum shifted when Pegula was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down and Sabalenka produced a delicate forehand drop and then a superb down the line winner to take the set.
Once she recovered from being broken on her first service game of the second set, it was easier going for Sabalenka, whose bid for a third straight Australian Open title was thwarted in the Melbourne final by Madison Keys earlier this year.
Aryna Sabalenka poses with the Butch Buchholz Trophy following her victory against Jessica Pegula of the United States in the women’s final on Day 12 of the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium on March 29, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Sabalenka broke twice to go 3-1 up and never looked in danger from that point on as she wrapped up the win in one hour 27 minutes.
It was the third time that Pegula has faced Sabalenka in a final and she has lost on all three occasions.
The men’s final on Sunday will feature Novak Djokovic up against Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik with the Serb looking for his 100th professional title.
Nottingham Forest reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 34 years as Belgian goalkeeper Matz Sels starred in a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Brighton on Saturday.
After the quarter-final clash at the Amex Stadium finished 0-0 following extra-time, Sels took centre-stage to send Forest to Wembley.
Sels saved spot-kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez and, although Forest’s Neco Williams blazed over, Ryan Yates held his nerve to stroke home the winner.
Forest also needed shoot-outs to get past third-tier Exeter and top-flight strugglers Ipswich in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively this season.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are enjoying a remarkable season that could culminate in Champions League qualification and a first FA Cup final appearance since 1991.
“It was such a stressful moment. Matz saved us again. He’s been doing really well. It’s the third time and we’ve always been successful. Credit to him”, Nuno said.
“We are so happy. It’s a huge moment for all of us to share with our fans.
” We have to focus on the Premier League but it’s going to be a beautiful moment for all of us on our journey. “
Forest, who last won the FA Cup in 1959, have climbed to third in the Premier League, leaving them within touching distance of appearing in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.
They are five points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea and six ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City with nine games to go.
Brian Clough’s men were the last Forest team to make the FA Cup semi-finals, beating West Ham before losing the final to Tottenham.
Forest join Crystal Palace in the last four after the Eagles won 3-0 at Fulham in Saturday’s other quarter-final.
On Sunday, Manchester City travel to Bournemouth and Aston Villa visit Championship side Preston, the last club from outside the top tier in this season’s tournament.
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Sels heroics
Nottingham Forest’s Belgian goalkeeper #26 Matz Sels gestures during the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Brighton &, Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest at the Amex stadium in Brighton, on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Forest crushed Brighton 7-0 at the City Ground in Premier League in February, a result that ranked as the Seagulls ‘ heaviest defeat for 67 years.
Since that humbling loss, Brighton had won four times in a five-game unbeaten run in the league, but they were unable to stop Forest’s penalty mastery.
Nuno surprisingly dropped wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga to the bench in a move that appeared to prioritise Tuesday’s league clash with Manchester United.
Forest were also without Chris Wood after their leading scorer suffered a hip injury on international duty with New Zealand.
Wood’s replacement Taiwo Awoniyi went close to an early opener, accelerating on to Ola Aina’s pass for a stinging strike that Bart Verbruggen saved at his near post.
But, shorn of their best attacking options, Forest struggled to make headway after that.
Brighton were hardly much more incisive, with Pervis Estupinan’s long-range blast pushed away by Sels.
Carlos Baleba was inches away from putting the Seagulls ahead on the stroke of half-time, lashing just wide from the edge of the area.
After their tepid start, Forest finally showed signs of life when Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike from distance forced a superb save from Verbruggen.
But Nuno had seen enough and sent on Hudson-Odoi and Elanga.
Verbruggen repelled Elanga’s close-range effort to force the tie into extra-time.
Gomez nearly won it for Brighton in the closing stages, but his header from Brajan Gruda’s cross was brilliantly saved by Sels, foreshadowing the keeper’s heroics in the shoot-out.
The way the draw is shaping up, either an original name or one without a win in generations could well be etched on the famous old trophy.
Crystal Palace are one of those looking to lift it for the first time after they breezed into the semi-finals by beating Fulham 3-0 on Saturday.
Nottingham Forest are also into the final four, beating Brighton on penalties in the quarter-finals, having last won the competition in 1959.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth are eyeing a maiden FA Cup win, although they face a tough task against last year’s Premier League champions and seven-time winners Manchester City on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Championship side Preston North End and Aston Villa – who play each other on Sunday – are looking to clinch the trophy for the first time since 1938 and 1957, respectively.
“I think every team left in the draw will fancy their chances”, former Middlesbrough and Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Manchester City will be a really tough one for Bournemouth, but if that does go in Bournemouth’s favour then all of a sudden the draw looks very different.
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Which sides have dominated in FA Cup?
Of course, there could well be a familiar winner of the FA Cup this season, with seven-time champions Manchester City still very much in contention – three of those coming since 2011.
But should they be upset by Bournemouth on Sunday then the final four would be absent of City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – the sides who have hogged the FA Cup trophy in recent decades.
The table above shows how such sides have dominated in the modern era, with only Aston Villa of the remaining clubs in the competition able to compete in terms of wins, although all seven of theirs came before 1958.
It isn’t actually that long ago since a side who hasn’t lifted the FA Cup before – or won it for the first time in a long time – last clinched it.
That happened just four years ago, when Leicester City triumphed over Chelsea.
However, that Foxes win is just the third time since Everton won the FA Cup 30 years ago that a side other than Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United won it.
The others were surprise triumphs for Wigan in 2013 and Portsmouth five years earlier.
That 2008 showpiece was also the last time a final did not include one of the aforementioned five Premier League sides, with Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth beating Cardiff.
” I think it could happen this season, “former Everton midfielder Fara Williams said on Football Focus.
” If you look how the Premier League has unfolded this season, there have been some real surprise packages.
How long since a team outside top flight won it?
Preston North End are looking to achieve something no team has managed in 45 years – win the FA Cup as a team playing outside the top flight.
They have won twice before – in 1889 and 1938 – and were beaten finalists in 1964.
The last team to win the competition who did so when not playing in the top tier of English football was West Ham in 1980.
“It will be a huge ask”, former Liverpool and Aston Villa full-back Stephen Warnock said on Football Focus.
“The only thing is if you can be very difficult to play against, very organised and maybe score a wonder goal or a set piece. I just don’t see it happening”.
Schwarzer added: “This is what the FA Cup is about – being able to dream.
Watch highlights as Nottingham Forest win a third straight FA Cup penalty shootout to beat Brighton and reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in 34 years.
