Gabriel Jesus admitted Manchester City’s Champions League exit was tough to take.
The Premier League leaders bowed out of the competition on Tuesday despite launching a spirited fightback in their quarter-final against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
Jesus struck in the second minute as City made a stunning start in their attempts to overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit but the task ultimately proved beyond them on a compelling but controversial night.
Gabriel Jesus has admitted Manchester City’s exit in the Champions League is ‘difficult to take’
City were stung by an incorrect decision to disallow a Leroy Sane goal for offside and, as Liverpool weathered the storm, second-half strikes from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino secured a 5-1 aggregate success.
‘It’s difficult to take,’ said Jesus. ‘It wasn’t what we wanted but this is part of football.
‘We didn’t play great in the two games but we congratulate Liverpool and focus on the six games we have until the end of the season to wrap up the title.’
City played at high intensity as they completely dominated the first half and produced numerous chances to further reduce the arrears after Jesus’ opener.
The drama was at its most fierce just before the break as Bernardo Silva hit the post and Sane was then thwarted by a flag raised wrongly after the ball came to him off Liverpool’s James Milner.
Jesus scored for City in the second minute before Liverpool ended up winning 2-1 on Tuesday
That prompted some angry protests that continued after the half-time whistle, with City boss Pep Guardiola sent to the stands for complaining to referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.
Jesus said: ‘We managed to score very early, in the second minute which was very important, and then after that we managed to control the ball and keep it in their half.
‘Then we had a goal disallowed for Sane and that was difficult to take because it affected the game a little bit.
‘But it’s hard to talk about a goal, and whether it’s allowed or not. It is part of football and sometimes these things happen.’
It has been a difficult week for City, with their two losses to Liverpool coming either side of a derby defeat by Manchester United.
Leroy Sane had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside late on in the first half at the Etihad
The United loss denied them the chance to wrap up the Premier League title with a record six games to spare and they may now need another two victories to secure the crown.
The title could be won if City win at Tottenham on Saturday and United lose to West Brom on Sunday, but failing that the wait could go on to games against Swansea or West Ham later this month.
Jesus, 21, said: ‘We didn’t manage to win the first leg at Liverpool, against United we allowed them to overcome our lead and then it happened again. I can’t find a specific reason for it, it just happened.
‘But it’s heads up. There are six games to go and we must focus on that, finish the season with a Premier League trophy. It’s nearly done but now we need to wrap it up.’