City proud of European spot

LONDON • Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City deserve their place in the Champions League next season, as the club find out today whether their two-season ban from European competitions will be overturned.

The sanction was imposed by Uefa in February over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play rules.

City have since appealed against that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which will deliver its verdict today.

On the field, they ensured they will finish in the Premier League's top four for the 10th year running, with Raheem Sterling scoring a hat-trick in a 5-0 Premier League away win over Brighton on Saturday.

Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva were the other scorers at the Amex Stadium.

The victory also secures second place with three games left, and Guardiola is adamant that whatever happens off the pitch should not impact on-pitch activities.

"Today, we achieved one incredible challenge, which is qualification for the Champions League mathematically," he said. "We deserve to be there because we won it on the pitch. Hopefully on Monday, Uefa can allow us to play like this team and these players deserve to."

For the fourth time in their last six league games, City scored four or more goals in another performance that belied the 21-point gap between them and champions Liverpool (93).

With nothing left to play for in the league, City will now turn their attention towards the two cup competitions in which they are still in contention.

Having lifted the League Cup in March, they could still end the season with a successive treble - Guardiola's players won an unprecedented domestic treble last term.

City face Arsenal in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday before recommencing their Champions League campaign next month - they lead Real Madrid 2-1 ahead of the second leg of their last-16 tie at home - and silverware is driving them on.

"I have the feeling all the team is ready to play good for what we have ahead of us," said Guardiola, whose side have never won the European Cup. "The levels we've had since the restart, even the games we lost, have been really good."

Too often this league season, City have been found wanting for failing to take their chances and punished for defensive lapses at the other end, allowing Liverpool to run away with their first English crown in 30 years.

However, there was never any chance of Brighton adding to their nine league defeats this campaign once Sterling curled home his 25th goal of the season with unerring accuracy into the far corner.

Admitting that their lack of composure cost them a chance to be the first team to win three league titles in a row since Manchester United did so in 2009, the England forward said: "The problem we've had this season is that we've created a lot of chances and not taken them.

"Whereas last season and the season before, we'd finish them and bury games early on."

But with their recent glut of goals, City appear set for the challenge of two more trophies, even though Guardiola confirmed that Sergio Aguero will play no part against Real owing to knee surgery.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE