Excitement mounts up as Man City head into the Premier League games and contests for the Champions League quarter-finals, FA Cup semi-finals, and Carabao Cup finals in April.
The challenge for the quadruple looms but should it be the determining factor for Citizens’ performance this season.
The countdown begins and Man City is all set for the greatest challenge of this season: achieving the quadruple.
If they do, it will be the first time that the club has accomplished such a feat in English football.
Boss Pep Guardiola is hopeful but cautious at the same time. And doesn’t want to make too much of the issue.
According to Gary Neville, Sky Sports:
“Is the Quadruple credible for City? The league is theirs. You can’t say the FA Cup is theirs – but what a chance…
“Tottenham can cause them a problem but I think City will win the League Cup.
“The Champions League is the one that’s always the most difficult. In the Champions League, there’s always a team that can come and do to you what Manchester United did to City a few weeks ago.
“They are good enough; they’ve got the talent and they’ve got the squad.
“I don’t think City will ever get a better chance.”
A Mammoth Season for Man City
The Premier League title is close-at-hand.
The outcome also depends on how Man United perform: if they drop or win points, both ways, the Citizens can claim an early victory as Premier League Champions.
The main thing is that City needs to continue performing consistently.
City won over Everton on 20 March to make it to the FA Cup semi-final.
The Blues defended relentlessly, but Boss Guardiola brought in his key strikers and players towards the latter period and the strategy worked.
His team now faces Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on 17 April. It’ll certainly be a match between two formidable forces. And the anticipation is high.
The Carabao Cup is almost within winning range going by City’s past performance with Tottenham.
They won over the Spurs in February with a 3-0 score.
However, knowing Mourinho’s history, the Citizens shouldn’t let their guard down, as they lost to his team in the Premier League, November, last year.
Winning the Champions League is going to be the most challenging considering the teams City is up against. It is also the most coveted one, even if it means letting go of the FA and Carabao Cups.
They face Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final, a force to reckon with, but the semi-finals won’t be kind to them as well.
They’ll have to contest with either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. And these teams are the best of the best and the finalists of the last season.
Man City’s Performance Should Undermine the Importance of the Quadruple
Micah Richards, BBC sport columnist, thinks that it’s more important for City to concentrate on the matches than on targeting the quadruple.
He says, “I’ve been trying not to get too excited about the thought of Manchester City winning the quadruple – in fact I’ve done my best not to even talk about it much until now.”
He is optimistic about City being able to achieve the quadruple, but feels it shouldn’t be the agenda for the team.
According to him, City should be focused on each competition. Having high expectations regarding the quadruple would make the blow harder if they lose one of the trophies. And Pep understands this.
Richards opines,
“As soon as the quadruple dream dies, this could go from feeling like a sensational season to just a very good one – by City’s high standards anyway – with prizes still to be won.
“It’s pretty clear they are going to win the Premier League, which is always an outstanding achievement.
“But after the levels they have reached over the course of the past few months, and the position they are in now, just winning that on its own would be a disappointment.”
Features that Help Pep’s Team to Perform Consistently
City benefits from a possession-oriented play. And it has worked especially during these times when safety measures have been maintained and crowds are absent.
In fact, they can focus more on the method. They adherently stick to the ball tiring out the opposition and come up with winning goals.
Pep has rotated his squad effectively allowing rests in-between and players have been lucky to carry on without injuries, as of now.
The City boss can call upon any one of his players at a given time and they all work in unison whoever the player is.
This has been one of the advantages for the Citizens, as the schedule has been daunting.
They face Leicester City in the Premier League on 3 April.
