Champions League spot would be ‘Premier League trophy’ for Man. City: Nunes

Matheus Nunes says Champions League qualification would be Manchester City’s “Premier League trophy” after a poor campaign by their stellar standards.

The Portugal international scored a last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on Tuesday to lift Pep Guardiola’s men to third in the table, four points ahead of seventh-placed Villa.

With Liverpool on the brink of the Premier League title and Arsenal sitting comfortably in second place, five clubs are battling for the three remaining places in Europe’s top club competition next season.

Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea are the other sides in the mix for a top-five finish.

City, who were hunting a fifth straight league title at the start of the season, suffered a costly collapse in form from late October.

But they can still end their season on a high, with Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Forest at Wembley coming hot on the heels of their vital win against Unai Emery’s Villa.

“This is our Premier League trophy now, to qualify for the Champions League,” Nunes said after scoring his first league goal for City in his second season at the club.

“I think it’s massively important for us, in terms of everything, the club, in terms of the players, the mentality.”

The 26-year-old admitted though that Champions League qualification for the 15th season running and FA Cup glory would not equal a good campaign.

“The club’s standards are much higher than this,” he said. “We know that there is not the standards we want this club to be at.

“But this is our reality now and we have to accept it. And we just have to go for it like it’s the Champions League, the Premier League trophy.”