Erling Haaland labeled the Manchester City “boring” and “horrible” season, but is hopeful that they can close it by winning the FA Cup on Saturday.
It is the last chance of the city for silverware this season. They had won the last four Premier League titles in a row, but saw their crown to Liverpool's hands, with Pep Guardiolas they 18 points behind the Reds with two games left.
A series of one win in nine Premier League matches between November and December lost City Tempo at the top and stopped the early title race.
They are fourth in the table and now get a chance of 91.7% to finish in the top five and secure the Champions League qualification by the OPTA Supercomputer.
City was beaten out of the Champions League in the play-offs by Real Madrid, after he was also lost in the fourth round of the Tottenham EFL Cup.
City, however, goes into the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on the back of a 10-game undefeated streak, but Haaland, who had been in a race to be fit for the showpiece in Wembley Stadium, says they underperformed this campaign.
“This season was difficult,” he told BBC Sport. “It's not nice to lose so many games.
“It's boring and not fun. That's why we have to end well and get a trophy.
“It is a good habit of achieving Wembley, and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for, and in a horrible season we still succeeded in doing this.
“If you have won four competition titles in a row, if you don't win five, it will not be a successful season.
“Those are the standards that we have determined. We have not done well enough in the competition, but still hope for the qualification of the Champions League.
“Crystal Palace is a very difficult club to play against. We have drawn in Selhurst Park [2-2 in December]And they really started at Etihad [in City’s 5-2 win in April]. They are a great team with quality players. “
Haaland had missed seven games due to injuries, with an ankle problem against Bournemouth in an FA Cup quarterfinals, before he returned to last Saturday's 0 –0-equal game in Southampton.
This season he scored 30 goals in all competitions, but was frustrated by his performances for the goal, after he has scored 52 times in his debut season (2022-23) and 38 goals in the previous period.
But Haaland noticed that the city had difficulty finding stability across the field.
“We have not been stable enough this season and we have not won enough games. It's as simple as that,” he added.
“We have to perform better in the big games. We have not won enough consecutive games.
“Of course we have had injuries all season. But we don't have to look for apologies.
“Everyone of us has not been good enough, and we have not been to our best, so if you are not at your best, you will not win games in this country because it is so difficult.”