"Folded like a pack of cards" - Rio Ferdinand claims Arsenal are responsible for giving Manchester City a chance at historic treble
Rio Ferdinand recently blamed Arsenal for giving Manchester City a very good chance at winning a historic treble.
Pep Guardiola's side are currently one win away from winning the treble. They will be looking to win their first-ever UEFA Champions League against Inter Milan in the final on 10 June.
A victory would see Manchester City become only the second English club to win the treble after Manchester United achieved the feat in 1999.
Manchester City secured the Premier League title after showing their resilience this season. They trailed Arsenal for 248 days of the campaign but were able to clinch the league with 89 points, five ahead of the Gunners.
The Cityzens also won the FA Cup on 3 June, defeating Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley. Despite his former club failing to win the FA Cup, Rio Ferdinand pointed the finger at Arsenal for failing to win the league.
Ferdinand said on the VIBE with FIVE podcast (via talkSPORT):
“It was your job, you were ahead 93 percent of the time. You was in a prime position to do that, and you folded like a pack of cards."
He also admitted that Manchester United never had a shot of winning the FA Cup final and said:
“It was over before it started. I didn’t have any genuine belief that we could win it. It is a 50/50 on the day but it weren’t a real 50/50. They are the better team, they have been together for a far longer period, they are in a rich vein of form.”
Arsenal to face stiff competition from Barcelona and Real Madrid to sign Manchester City star: Reports
According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have begun 'early talks' with Manchester City to sign full-back Joao Cancelo this summer. However, they are set to face stiff competition for Barcelona and Real Madrid for the 29-year-old's signature.
Cancelo established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League with Manchester City. In 154 appearances, he scored nine goals and provided 22 assists, helping the Cityzens win three Premier League titles.
However, following the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Cancelo fell out with Guardiola due to a lack of game time this season. The Portugal international joined Bayern Munich on a six-month loan deal and won the Bundesliga title.
Joao Cancelo is likely to be moved on this summer and Arsenal are interested in his services. However, the Portuguese star reportedly wants to move to La Liga, which could make the deal harder to complete.