Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has revealed that winning the FA Cup trophy would help reduce the bigger damage in what has been a poor season by their usually high standards.
The defending champions have endured a disappointing campaign in the Premier League, and in Europe.
Guardiola’s men are 18 points behind table-toppers Liverpool and they crashed out of the Champions League in the playoff round to Real Madrid.
They exited the Carabao Cup in the fourth round while battling with the likes of Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, and Chelsea in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
The FA Cup remains their only hope of winning a trophy this season, and Guardiola is confident that winning the trophy will prevent a bigger damage.
He said: “We have to make the final first. Too many matches this season have not been good. We will avoid bigger damage for the club [if we win the FA Cup].
“From my point of view, the biggest thing in the season is the Premier League.
“The FA Cup keeps us safe. But the Premier League dictates how good your season has been, and it has not been good, but it could be worse.
“It is in our hands and we have an opportunity to be three in a row in the final of the FA Cup. Hopefully, we can do it.”
Man City will be taking on Nottingham Forest in the semi-final on Sunday, and Guardiola was full of praise for Nuno Espirito-Santo.
He said: “He has been incredible, qualifying for the Europa League with Wolves and now with Nottingham Forest.
“He has done a really good job.The guys have good skills, and I admire that they defend well and have a good spirit.
“They have the transition with top, top players up front. The owner invests with top, top players. The results are here.”
Nottingham Forest have been in the Premier League top five all season, and they are also on course to making a return to the Champions League, a competition they have won twice.
Guardiola also provided updates on the availability of Ederson for the encounter while also touching on Rodri’s chances of playing again this season.
He said: “Eddie is coming back training a little bit. But I don’t know if he’ll be ready for this game, hopefully the next one.
“Every training session Rodri does with us, he does well,” he said when asked about the possibility of the Spaniard featuring in the remainder this season.
“But I don’t know. Rodri wants [to play] but the doctor will have to say ‘Pep you have a green light to give him minutes. I want to rely on the doctors in that case.”
Rodri has been out of action since September after sustaining a knee injury.
Sunday’s clash against Nottingham Forest will mark Man City’s seventh successive semi-final, a record-breaking achievement in the competition.
