Pep Guardiola will not prioritise the cup competitions ahead of the Premier League for Manchester City , as he fears the Blues could miss out on Europe if they do so.
City's hopes of a third successive Premier League title appear to be over after they blew a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Wolves. That leaves them 14 points behind Liverpool, who also have a game in hand, and Guardiola admits it's "unrealistic" to think about the title at the moment.
The Blues face Manchester United in a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final in January and Port Vale in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad next weekend as they seek to defend their two domestic cup crowds.
They also face Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 in the New Year, but Guardiola won't ease up in the Premier League in case it loosens their grip on the top four as well, despite holding an eight-point cushion on nearest challengers Wolves.
"We cannot prioritise any competition because if we do then next season we won’t be in Europe," he said.
"I never prioritise competitions. Now we’re back at home, playing another game in less than 40 hours and we’ll see how they are and how they feel. Prepare for the next game, then the next, then the next."
Liverpool's 4-0 win at Leicester on Boxing Day night had been the defining moment in the title race according to many pundits and City had to win in the West Midlands to leapfrog Leicester.
But the defeat has left them in third and their hopes of making a title race out of this season hanging by a thread, with Guardiola admitting that prospect isn't on his mind at the moment.
“It’s unrealistic to think about Liverpool, we think about Leicester, we had the chance to recover second," the City boss said of the picture at the top of the table.
"I know the quality of the team, but that’s the situation."
