'Our trophy' - Matheus Nunes makes Man City admission after 'difficult' mentality change Matheus Nunes scored a dramatic winner for Manchester City against Aston Villa to put the club on the brink of a 15th successive season in the Champions League. Matheus Nunes put City within touching distance of the Champions League with his late winner against Aston Villa Manchester City match-winner Matheus Nunes insists the FA Cup and Champions League qualification still won't be considered a good season at the Etihad after admitting readjusting targets this season has taken some getting used to. The Blues are used to competing for titles and trebles at this stage of the campaign, but they head into Sunday's FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest with just the one trophy still to play for. ‌ With the stuttering defence of their league title signalling an early end to attempts to win a fifth crown in a row and a defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League play-off round ending their prime ambitions, Pep Guardiola's side have to refocus on securing a return to Europe's top table next season. They have been locked in a tight battle for a top-five finish, but Nunes' 94th-minute winner against Aston Villa on Tuesday night moved City up to third and saw them take a giant step towards a 15th successive season in the Champions League. Although that would have been considered a given at the start of the season, City have had to recalibrate this term, and Nunes said Champions League qualification had now become the ultimate aim. Article continues below "This is our Premier League trophy now to qualify for the Champions League," he said. "It's massively important for us, in terms of everything, the club, in terms of the players, the mentality. "We cannot describe how incredible it's going to be to be in the Champions League, because now we cannot fight for the Premier League trophy. So that's our main aim." City had won six of the last seven Premier League titles before this season, so altering their goals from another crown to simply getting into the top five has taken some getting used to for players used to fighting at the very top of the table, requiring a difficult change of mindset. ‌ "I think so, especially for the guys that have been here longer," added Nunes. "They're always used to win and to fight for the title. But also, I would say they're very experienced players. "So I know they know better than me that football is like this. Sometimes you go up, sometimes you go down. This is a journey, it's a rollercoaster and you have to be prepared for it. And of course they are. "We now have a different aim than we had in the beginning of the season. They know better than me how important it is to qualify for the Champions League. And that has to be our goal now and we're going to go for it." ‌ City's attention now shifts to Wembley and a seventh successive FA Cup semi-final, with Nottingham Forest lying in wait on Sunday. Victory would set up a final against Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest. It would also give the Blues a chance of winning one of the three major domestic trophies in England for a ninth season in a row, but Nunes admits that even that silverware and Champions League qualification couldn't classify this season as a successful one. "Of course not. We know this club's standards are much higher than this," he said. "We know that there is not the standards we want this club to be at. ‌ "But this is our reality now and we have to accept it. And we just have to go for it like it's the Champions League, the Premier League trophy." It's been unusual for City to be on the outside looking in when the Champions League reaches its denouement in spring, with the last-16 and quarter-finals taking place without them. Arsenal are now flying the flag for Premier League interest, having dumped out Real Madrid to set up a semi-final against Paris St-Germain. But while most neutrals are again glued to the knockout rounds, Nunes has been steering clear. Asked if he had been watching the latter stages, he needed a reminder of the fixtures before admitting he doesn't tune in to football once he's clocked off for the day, preferring Netflix drama to Champions League drama. Article continues below "I just don't watch football," he said. "It's just because our daily routine is just full of football. You know, it's the same as if you work on a computer and you're going home, you don't want to go for the computer."