Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola turns attention to chasing down Liverpool

Pep Guardiola is concentrating on clawing back ground on Liverpool after Manchester City secured Champions League progression last night.

City could only draw against Shakhtar Donetsk but top Group C regardless and have now qualified for the last 16 in each of the last seven seasons.

Guardiola still believes they have some way to go before being considered genuine favourites to lift Europe’s top prize.

But the Spaniard applauded City’s smooth advancement to the knockout stages before turning attention back to domestic duty at Newcastle on Saturday.

‘It is time to focus on the Premier League,’ Guardiola said. ‘We’ll see which conditions we arrive with (in the last 16) – it’s about the details.

‘Now we have one competition already done, and now our focus is the league until we arrive in the cups. The target was to qualify and we have done it.’ Guardiola is still demanding improvement from his squad after they struggled to break Shakhtar down for lengthy spells at the Etihad Stadium.

City’s draw with Shakhtar Donetsk means they have reached the last 16 of the tournament

Goalscorer Ilkay Gundogan says City need to improve on their performances of late

‘The first half we wanted to finish the actions so quick,’ he added. ‘We didn’t get the time. In the second half we adjusted a little bit. We passed the ball more. We were much better.’ Ilkay Gundogan – who scored City’s goal shortly after half-time – conceded the Premier League champions were below par.

The midfielder did, however, suggest they need nights like this if they are to go deeper than ever before in the competition.

‘We let them play and didn’t defend as well as we normally do, so we struggled to create,’ Gundogan said. ‘Our build up was a bit sloppy today and a bit slow. It was not our best performance but this is the Champions League and it is a competition where you have to struggle.

City currently trail the league leaders by nine points going into a busy run of fixtures

‘Unfortunately we got a draw which we have to accept but we qualify as group winners which is the most important thing. We knew this game would be tough.’ Gundogan insisted there is still life in City’s domestic season despite falling nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool after 13 matches.

‘It is not what we are aiming for but this is the situation you have to deal with,’ he added. ‘We have dropped unnecessary points in a few games already, and to remain at the top, you are not allowed to.

‘We need to be there if Liverpool slip and we are through in the Champions League, but there is still plenty of work to improve. Not results, but more the way we play.’