Treble would be crowning achievement for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City

FOR Manchester United, life under Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t get any better than 1999. That was when the Old Trafford club won all three major trophies – the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup – in one season, marking the peak of an era of dominance few believed an English team would ever achieve again.

24 years later, Manchester City are in good shape to emulate the achievement of their cross-city rivals. Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s side are fighting on three fronts – they are chasing, and catching, Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, are in the semi-finals of the Champions League and have an FA Cup final (against Man Utd, incidentally) in June to look forward to.

Guardiola has already achieved plenty during his time as City boss. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has set a new precedent at the top of the English game. It now takes close to 100 points to win a Premier League title and that’s due to the relentless consistency of Manchester City. A Treble, though, would be Guardiola’s crowning achievement at the club.

Consider how many fans and experts told Guardiola upon taking the City job he wouldn’t be able to dominate English football like he had German and Spanish football. It was argued the Premier League’s competitiveness would wear down the Catalan. Such warnings and predictions have since been made to look foolish. Guardiola has won four Premier League titles in the last five seasons.

"How many times in England have trebles been done? One…our neighbours they did it!" 👀

Man City boss Pep Guardiola is not getting excited about potentially winning a treble this season ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3MUt2sSXIw

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2023

Wednesday night’s home fixture against Arsenal will go a long way to determining the outcome of this season’s Premier League title race. The Gunners have occupied top spot since early in the campaign, but recent draws against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton have come just as City have found their best form. The dynamic has dramatically shifted. City could make it five titles in six seasons.

In the Champions League quarter-finals, Manchester City swept aside Bayern Munich, a team that boasted a 100% record in the competition before meeting Guardiola’s outfit. City didn’t even need to play at their best to get the job done in the second leg at the Allianz Arena, holding the German champions at arm’s length for the majority of the match.

As recently as January, City had problems. Erling Haaland was scoring for fun, but the possession play of his new team was suffering. Joao Cancelo’s shock loan move to Bayern Munich also left Manchester City desperately short in the full back areas. Guardiola, however, has found solutions. City now appear stronger than at any other point of Guardiola’s tenure.

🗣 "We are in the position we want to be."

Erik ten Hag on the potential of doing the treble with Manchester United pic.twitter.com/BEYqXBcKKh

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 16, 2023

“They don’t have to be scared, we are neighbours, neighbours are always nice to each other,” Guardiola said somewhat mischievously when asked in a press conference how threatened Manchester United should feel now that City are so close to winning a Treble of their own this season.

“I said yesterday we are far away from the treble and this discussion for a funny moment is OK. The reality, I said many times, the most impressive thing for this club, from the hierarchy to the backroom staff is that after many years, six years, winning titles and titles, we are still there [competing].”

The most ominous thing about City’s chance of a Treble is that if they don’t achieve it this season they will likely get another shot at it in the near future. Guardiola has built a team that with season-on-season replenishment can stay at the top of the English and European game for a long time to come. Manchester City’s reign could have more than one crowning achievement.