Manchester City are proof of why winning the quadruple is nearly impossible
Manchester City have missed their chance of winning the quadruple after an electrifying night at Etihad Stadium. In case you didn't know, City were knocked out of the Champions League 2018-19 competition by their fellow English club, Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City, who have been producing outstanding performances over the past few years under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, were tipped by some to win quadruple this season. The Cityzens currently stand second in the Premier League points table, with 83 points from 33 games. They haven't lost a single game in their last five Premier League appearances.
Having played one game fewer than the table toppers Liverpool, Manchester City will be crowned as this season's domestic title holders if they continue their winning run.
In January, City seized the Carabao Cup 2019 title after registering a win over Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea. The men in sky blue are still in contention for the FA Cup honor, as they will face Watford in the title-decider on the green pitch of Wembley.
It could be a dream season for Manchester City and their fans, but a night full of drama yesterday was enough to spoil their dreams. But their stumble only shows how winning the quadruple is nearly impossible for any team, not just City.
Opposition teams are stronger
Nowadays, any mid-level team can beat a fancied one if they have enough belief in themselves. When Tottenham Hotspur came to Etihad with a 0-1 advantage, the majority of fans expected that City would easily send the Londoners out of the Champions League.
But the Tottenham players showed incredible passion on the field and turned things around. They proved that you can never underestimate a team filled with talented players.
This season's Champions League has thrown up more than one example of this. It has shown that a young and skilled team like Ajax can beat a giant like Juventus if the players have the passion and courage.
Squad rotation and injuries
Squad rotation and injury issues have become a new obstacle between a club and its quadruple-winning chances. Players have to play matches every weekend and also in the middle of the week.
As a coach, you have to rotate the players in your squad. If you don't do that, you run the risk of your players getting injured or fatigued. And squad rotation in turn can hamper the players' consistency and rhythm.
That is exactly what happened with this Manchester City side. Many of their players were in and out of the treatment table, and they weren't able to get back to their best immediately after returning.