Pep Guardiola was not pleased as his side lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final.
Despite all their free-flowing passes and possession, the Citizens failed to score in only their sixth game out of 55 this season.
With City dumped out of the FA Cup, their hopes of a domestic double this season is all but over. Guardiola has now set his sights on their one final trophy, the Champions League.
In what has been a poor season for City by their standards, their campaign would be ultimately be judged from their progress in the Champions League.
But first, Guardiola and company must maintain a 2-1 lead over newly crowned La Liga champions Real Madrid at the Etihad.
Judging from what he saw on Saturday night, the Spanish manager doesn’t need a magician telling him his side must improve.
“I don’t have to tell them. They know it, they feel it,” said Guardiola.
“We know the standards that we have to be on these kinds of stages, in these kind of competitions. Maybe we are learning, maybe not. We will see.
“The last game against Bournemouth was not good and today the first half was not good. We struggled to play at our level.
“It does not take a genius to realise we have to increase our standard against Madrid if we want to have any chance to go through.”
It’s one thing to lose a game but Guardiola wasn’t pleased with the manner of his side’s loss.
“Sometimes it happens. It’s an incredible run but sometimes you can lose. But the way we lost, particularly in the first half, we’re sad about this.”
