MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland said Manchester City must deliver in the FA Cup final on Saturday to salvage something from a 鈥渉orrific鈥� season that saw them deposed as English champions for the first time in five years.
City face Crystal Palace at Wembley aiming to avoid a first trophyless campaign since Pep Guardiola鈥檚 debut season in charge in 2016/17.
Guardiola鈥檚 men sit fourth in the Premier League, 18 points adrift of champions Liverpool, and in a battle just to secure a top-five finish and Champions League football next season in their final two league matches.
City were also dumped out of the Champions League before the last 16 for the first time in 12 years by Real Madrid in the play-off round.
鈥淭his season has been tough,鈥� Haaland told the BBC. 鈥淚t is not nice to lose so many games. It is boring and not fun. That鈥檚 why we need to finish well and get a trophy.
鈥淚t is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this.鈥�
Haaland is set to start the final after making his comeback from a six-week injury layoff in last weekend鈥檚 0-0 draw at Southampton.
Ballon d鈥橭r winner Rodri has missed most of the season with a serious knee injury, while City have been beset by fitness troubles for a series of key defenders.
But Haaland said that should offer no excuses to a club with the resources at City鈥檚 disposal.
鈥淥f course, we have had injuries throughout the season. But we should not search for excuses,鈥� added the Norwegian.
鈥淓very single one of us hasn鈥檛 been good enough and we haven鈥檛 been at our best, so when you are not at your best you aren鈥檛 going to win games in this country because it鈥檚 so hard.鈥�