Manchester City's pursuit of football immortality - Can they secure back-to-back trebles?
It is safe to say that Manchester City are very much in the running for a continental treble once again. After becoming just the second English team to win the coveted treble last season, the Cityzens would be licking their lips at the prospect of doing it all over again. While Pep Guardiola has claimed that he is 99.99% certain (as per ESPN) that Manchester City will not be repeating last season's success, fans would've started building sand castles in the blue sky.
Winning a treble once is a difficult task in itself but winning it back-to-back is near impossible. Eight clubs have managed to claim the treble in Europe till date with Barcelona and Bayern Munich winning twice, but neither have repeated the feat in successive seasons.
Domestic success has been aplenty for Pep Guardiola since his arrival in Manchester in 2016 but European glory had always eluded him. However, after coming up short in their six previous attempts, he finally led Manchester City to the coveted crown last season - the UEFA Champions League.
Manchester United were the first Premier League club to achieve the treble in 1999. The phrase 'Manchester is Red' still rings loud in the alleys of the football-loving city. While the tides have shifted since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, the team in blue have often found themselves chasing the legacy of their city rivals.
For the Sky Blues, however, it is more than just chasing history or legacy. This is a chance for City to achieve something that no team has done before and etch their names into football immortality. So, the million-dollar question. Can they do it again?
#1 Premier League
Ever since Pep Guardiola set foot in England, Manchester City have lifted the Premier League title five times in seven years and outlines were drawn for the sixth in July 2023. However, things have been far from easy for City in the league this time around.
The top three - Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal are currently separated by only two points after matchday 27 with City currently in second, and the margins for error now range from extremely less to zero. But if there is one thing we have learned about City in the last few seasons, it is that the champions find their way to the title when it is required.
All three sides are expected to continue their dominance and remain consistent, and it is becoming more and more likely that the Premier League title will be decided by their games against each other. City had snatched the title from Liverpool's jaws on the last day of the 2021-22 season, but will a departing Jurgen Klopp allow that again?
Key fixtures that could decide their title fate: Liverpool [(A), 10 March], [Arsenal (H), 31 March], [Aston Villa (H), 4 April], [Tottenham Hotspur (A), 20 April].
#2 UEFA Champions League (UCL)
The UCL title had not only eluded Manchester City but also Pep Guardiola ever since he left Barcelona. While the burden has finally been lifted and City now know what it takes to go all the way, one would be foolish to think it easy.
The Cityzens are through to the quarter-finals yet again after defeating Kobenhavn 6-2 on aggregate. It will only get tougher from here with the likes of Real Madrid looking for revenge from last season, and Bayern Munich looking for redemption.
The Blues have gone through their fair share of peaks and troughs over the course of the campaign but they seem to be hitting their peak again at the right time. But if there is one thing we have learnt about the UCL throughout history, it is that no team can be considered better than the other in the knockout stages, and it is a matter of which one turns up on the day.
Key rivals: Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
#3 FA Cup
In comparison to the aforementioned two titles, the FA Cup may not be as difficult to lay their hands on once again for the Sky Blues. They host Newcastle United next week (16 March), the same team that had ended City's EFL Cup run and quadruple ambitions.
Arch-rivals Liverpool and last season's finalists Manchester United still remain in the hunt as well. Manchester City will be strong favorites to lift their eighth FA Cup title but just like any other knockout competition, one bad game and treble ambitions evaporate into thin air.
Key rivals: Liverpool and Chelsea.
#4 Pressure of making history
It is never easy to handle pressure when making history is at stake. After claiming the Premier League and FA Cup trophies last season, City were made strong favorites by the media to win the UCL final against Inter Milan. However, Pep Guardiola's men weathered the storm and etched their name into the history books.
It is difficult to count Manchester City out based on their current form and squad depth. With Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and the rest of the City squad fit and firing on all cylinders, there is no reason to think they won't be able to do it all again. However, the glory and expectations of achieving the impossible are sure to play a part, and history has witnessed even the best of the best have crumpled under such a heavy burden.