MANCHESTER. – Pep Guardiola said Manchester City’s home form must improve next season if they are to challenge for honours after they beat West Bromwich Albion in their last home game.

Guardiola’s first season in English football will end at Watford on Sunday with the Catalan failing to win silverware for the first time in his stellar managerial career.

But Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory over West Brom should be enough to guarantee a top-four finish – and a place in next season’s Champions League – while a win at Watford will assure City of advancing directly to the competition proper.

“I will not say fourth position is done, but Arsenal have to win by five or six against Everton and my good friend Ronald Koeman,” City manager Guardiola told reporters at the Etihad Stadium.

“We are there and we are going to travel to London to try and finish third and go direct to the Champions League. I’m happy it’s in our hands to finish third.

“This club had not played in Europe for 30 years. Now we are there every year, but we have to try and be better next season.”

However, City will need to improve their form at the Etihad, where despite ending the season with three straight victories, they have collected just 11 wins from 19 games.

“Our home season was not good,” said Guardiola. “We finished the last three games with good performances, but it was not good. “That was the reason we didn’t fight (for the title) until the end of the season. We lost a lot of points, but this was a perfect night, especially for Pablo.”

Guardiola was referring to Argentinian defender Pablo Zabaleta, who played his last home game for the club prior to leaving as a free agent. “It was an emotional night, for his family, for the people in the crowd,” said Guardiola. – AFP.

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