Aleks: We’re better team than Monaco

CITY defender Aleks Kolarov has set his team-mates a target for the rest of the season.

The Blues’ most realistic hope of silverware from Pep Guardiola’s first campaign in charge looks like the FA Cup, with Arsenal to play in the semifinals and Chelsea or Tottenham should they make it to the final.

Kolarov did not hide how much the Champions League exit to Monaco on Wednesday night had hurt the team. City had been expected to go through, but froze as Leonardo Jardim’s side progressed at their expense.

Despite the disappointment, the defender did not accept that they had gone out to a better team, but chose to focus on the games ahead, with Liverpool a crunch Premier League encounter on Sunday.

“We have two months until the end of the season, so I hope we are going to finish in the best way possible in the Premier League and FA Cup,” he said.

“We have to work hard to improve every game and we will see where we can reach in the end.

“The aggregate score was 6-6, they scored more goals away and they played very good.

“I think we are a better team than them, but in the moment we didn’t play the first half like we wanted to.

“I’d like to congratulate them on going through.

“It’s very painful in this moment for us and a difficult day but we have to look forward to the next games.”