City moved into the top three with the thumping 5-0 victory, which came just hours after Khaldoon had flown in from Abu Dhabi. Roberto Mancini's men are currently on course for automatic qualification for the Champions League, something Johnson admits Khaldoon wants to see happen. He said: "The chairman Khaldoon spoke to us on Sunday morning. He outlined what getting into the Champions League would mean to this club and, I think, spurred everyone on for the victory against Sunderland. "He said he was fully backing us and that everyone was behind us to get that Champions League place. "To get into the Champions League would be massive for this club but he also said how important it was to win a trophy because we hadn't won one for over 30 years." City face Manchester United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup next weekend.
