City Determined To Reignite Fire Of Old

Pep says goal celebrations in win over Villa show team are rediscovering their passion

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LONDON - Pep Guardiola has vowed that Manchester City will be back to their best next season after losing their "spirit" during a turbulent campaign that exposed an unexpected lack of hunger in his side.

City, who had won the previous four English Premier League titles, want to salvage a dismal year by winning the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League via a top-five finish.

Guardiola's side face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals on April 27 knowing defeat at Wembley would condemn them to finish without a major trophy for the first time since 2016-17.

But the manager is already looking to the future and thinking about how to avoid a repeat of City's stunning struggles and he believes he has found the solution.

The Spaniard noticed the passion his players celebrated with after Bernardo Silva put them ahead in a crucial 2-1 league win against top-five rivals Aston Villa on April 22.

It was a display of unity that Guardiola did not see earlier in the season, when he felt City took success for granted after winning six of the last seven Premier League titles.