Man City: Pep Guardiola makes Champions League promise to players after Tottenham defeat

City were eliminated from the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night

Manchester City’s players are still hurting from their Champions League defeat, but Pep Guardiola has assured them that they will “get what they deserve” in the competition.

City were eliminated from the quarter-finals in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, falling to an away-goals defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, drawing 4-4 on aggregate.

Raheem Sterling appeared to have scored a winning goal in stoppage time, which would have sent City through the only second European Cup semi-final in their history.

Yet the goal was correctly ruled out by VAR after Sergio Aguero had strayed marginally offside in the build-up.

“I think it’s just life,” Guardiola said, reflecting on City’s defeat before Tottenham’s return to the Etihad on Saturday in the Premier League.

“I qualify for the first final of the Champions League [with Barcelona in 2009] with just one shot on target and maybe we didn’t deserve it. Then there’s been others when I think we deserve it.

“We have to live with these situations, accept them. Inside it hurts, it will be on our minds but looking backwards will not will help us to move forward.

“It was a tough night but the day after, stand up and move forward. These players have the opportunity to show they can do that.

“They will get back what they deserve, this season or next season or three or four years.

“One day they will be in the same position and they’ll be fortunate, luckier, more precise or whatever and go to the next stages.”

Guardiola wants the trauma of Wednesday night to stay with his City players and inspire them, not only this weekend against Tottenham but in the remainder of the title race.

The defending Premier League champions are two points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand, knowing that if they win their last five, they will retain their crown.

“If you believe it doesn’t hurt, or if you believe it’s over and we [should] forget it, I say no. I don’t want the players to forget what they lived,” Guardiola said.

“It will take time, we have to live and compete and play with that feeling. That’s nice. What we lived last Wednesday, in terms of emotion, it was incredible.

“We are fortunate to live it, we were lucky to live it. More than 55,000 people were happy then in one second, everyone devastated.

“There is no activity in the world you can put in these kinds of limits, all these up and downs. People cannot expect that now it’s over. That’s impossible.”

“Always it will remain in our hearts,” Guardiola added. “I don’t want to see my players [saying] it doesn’t matter. I’d like to see more that it hurts. It was a pity. We were close.

“And with this, try tomorrow to play our game at 12.30 here at the Etihad Stadium.”