Update: ‘Tough periods’ – Honest Man City admission can lead to bright future but key question remains News

Manchester City are chasing down a Champions League spot as the Premier League enters its final weeks

Rico Lewis believes his and Manchester City’s mixed campaign will enable them to come back stronger next term.

The Blues have struggled for much of the season but the 5-2 weekend win over Crystal Palace saw them leapfrog Chelsea and jump into the Premier League’s top five as Pep Guardiola’s side chase down Champions League football.

City also have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to later this month as they bid to end the campaign with a flourish. Lewis, too, will want to finish strong having returned to the starting line up against the Eagles.

The full back had been ousted by makeshift defender Matheus Nunes in recent weeks with Guardiola seeming uncertain how best to deal with the right back position.

For Lewis, dropping behind a midfielder in the pecking order will have been tough to take, but he will hope to retain his spot in the side for the run-in. And the 20-year-old has not been shaken by being out of the XI, insisting he can use it as a learning curve in a metaphor for the team themselves.

“At the start of the season, I was really happy, we were flying and it was obviously good,” he said of the opening weeks when Lewis was winning plaudits and City were winning games.

“Then, that’s football. Nobody expected the amount of injuries we got, it’s affected everyone and I think credit to the players who are still out there and fighting for us.

He added: “Since I’ve come in the to the first team all I’ve known is winning trophies and stuff like that. Even when that was going on, I’ve always said I wanted to keep focussed because I know that football goes up and down.

“This is probably the first season where we’ve had the most amount of issues where I felt like there were tough periods. So it’s been good to learn from stuff.

“There are always downs and ups but I think in the future, when this comes round again we’ll be, and me personally, will be better prepared for it.

“Only we know how much, you know, effort we’ve all put in and how much we wanted to do well in the bad moments. But, you know, I think it’s one of those things in football, it’s up and downs and I’m just happy to be playing now.

“Obviously. It’s difficult to come back in when you’ve not played and not had the match fitness as frequently. (But) it’s always so good to start a game and play for this club, it’s amazing.”

It remains to be seen whether Lewis will be handed the right back role for the run-in, or whether Guardiola will look to Nunes again. Either way, the England international will see the benefits and hope he can prove his value ahead of a likely transfer splurge in the summer – when a new right back could well be on the shopping list.

—