Pep Guardiola has insisted Manchester City have enjoyed a successful season, regardless of whether they win the Premier League or beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Guardiola's side will put their pursuit of Arsenal in the Premier League table on hold to head to Wembley for a fourth consecutive FA Cup final appearance.
City begin each season with the Premier League and Champions League as primary targets, but they now face the prospect of falling short in both competitions.
Knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in the round of 16 in March, City would trail Arsenal by five points if the Gunners beat relegated Burnley at home on Monday. Guardiola and his players could reduce the deficit to two points by defeating Bournemouth in their penultimate away league match on Tuesday. However, Arsenal can still seal their first English title since 2004 by beating Crystal Palace on May 24.
Having already won the League Cup by defeating Arsenal, City have a chance to complete a domestic double this weekend.
Yet Guardiola insisted the campaign has been a positive one, no matter what happens at Wembley or in the title race. 'It depends on the trophies you lift. Sometimes you lift the trophy and the season was successful. Sometimes, you lift the trophy and the truth is the season was really, really bad,' Guardiola said. 'I said a few weeks ago that this season is very good. Really, very good.'
After benching Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Jeremy Doku for the midweek win over Crystal Palace, Guardiola is likely to field a full-strength lineup against Chelsea rather than prioritising the league. 'It's the FA Cup final. The message is there are two famous clubs at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Our fans have made a huge effort to come to London,' he said. 'We try to play as well as possible to win. That's always the game plan.'
City have lost their last two FA Cup finals, against Crystal Palace and Manchester United, whom they beat in the 2023 final. 'There's excitement, of course. I hope we can do better than the last two times,' Guardiola said. 'Wembley remains a special place. Everything is very beautiful. The pitch is extraordinary. We are very eager to perform well.'
Ahead of his 24th trip to Wembley with City, Guardiola joked he was 'very disappointed' not to have a stand named after him at English football's iconic venue. 'I've been there so many times, at least a lounge or a VIP room or something. Maybe I'll need to go another 24 times,' he said.
Guardiola has one year left on his contract with City and has yet to sign a new deal amid speculation he could end his decade at the Etihad when this season concludes. When asked about rumours that fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor will leave the club, Guardiola smiled and said: 'I have renewed their contracts for another three years,' before adding: 'No.'
