Guardiola grateful to O'Reilly after 'massively important' win

For Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side, nan celebrations astatine full-time astatine Goodison Park connected Saturday pointed to a monumental consequence successful nan discourse of their substandard campaign.

City person group nan benchmark successful English football, arsenic nan first broadside to triumph 4 top-flight titles successful a row, but they will relinquish their clasp connected nan trophy this season.

They besides fell successful nan Champions League play-offs - and for 84 minutes connected Merseyside, it seemed for illustration they were facing a existent conflict to compete successful Europe's elite nine title adjacent term.

But 2 precocious goals from nan emerging prima Nico O'Reilly and knowledgeable midfielder Mateo Kovacic gave City a hard-fought victory astatine Everton.

Asked really large nan consequence was, Guardiola told BBC Sport: "I would opportunity big. We person five, six games near and pinch nan infinitesimal they had aft [winning against] Nottingham Forest away, [and fixed that] Liverpool and Arsenal could not triumph here, it is massively important."

City were facing nan imaginable of being retired of nan Premier League apical 5 travel nan extremity of nan weekend, but picked up a pivotal consequence to fortify their hopes of Champions League shot successful 2025-26.

The capacity of English teams successful Europe intends nan Premier League has received an other 5th spot successful nan continent's premier nine title for adjacent season, which leaves City successful a patient position.

But they needed a precocious show connected Merseyside for each 3 points and nan guidance astatine nan extremity highlighted really important a triumph it was.

City players and unit made their measurement complete to nan area of nan stadium wherever their joyous supporters were housed, taking their acclaim and being serenaded pinch chants for Guardiola and nan departing Kevin de Bruyne.

Victory successful their adjacent crippled against Aston Villa, who are besides chasing a top-five place, will spell a agelong measurement to sealing a coveted Champions League spot.

"If you triumph you person character, if you don't triumph you don't person characteristic - this is nan motto," said Guardiola.

"What these players person done for 1 decade, I americium truthful grateful for, immoderate has happened - this play much than ever, successful nan toughest play for galore reasons particularly injuries.

"We were much aliases little stable, kept going and going for nan adjacent time. We are miles distant from Liverpool and Arsenal but coming we slumber fourth.

"It is successful our hands but we person a last connected Tuesday, 3 games astatine home, 2 distant and hopefully we tin execute this large occurrence to suffice for nan Champions League."

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said connected BBC Radio 5 Live: "That is simply a monolithic triumph for Manchester City. Champions League shot for a nine of their stature is an absolute minimum."

Injuries person had a important effect connected City this play - and nan absences of Nathan Ake, Manual Akanji and John Stones person provided a chance to Manchester-born O'Reilly.

He has been deployed arsenic an inverted left-back, often drifting into midfield, and his runs guardant person contributed to City's attacking threat.

At 20 years and 29 days, O'Reilly became nan fourth-youngest subordinate to people successful back-to-back Premier League appearances for City aft Kelechi Iheanacho, Gabriel Jesus and Phil Foden.

"My defending and positioning while defending is decidedly improving," O'Reilly told Sky Sports. "Every time I americium conscionable learning and I americium grateful for that."

The left-footer has had an instant effect since being drafted into nan team, having had a manus successful six goals crossed his past six appearances for City successful each competitions.

"He's not really a left-back," Guardiola told BBC Match of nan Day. "I would opportunity each of our left-backs score, Josko Gvardiol earlier and now Nico. He is an attacking midfielder.

"We person passes, passes and passes and past we tin get brilliantly into that position. He has arrived from nan academy and is helping america a lot. I americium much than grateful. He is taking his opportunity."

Team-mate Ilkay Gundogan described O'Reilly arsenic being "very humble and shy" and personification who "doesn't talk much".

The German midfielder added: "In position of talent and quality, not conscionable his size but playing successful a position that isn't earthy for him astatine left-back, he's been doing astonishing successful caller weeks.

"He has nan method expertise and timing to get successful nan container and people important goals. I americium very gladsome for him."