Manchester City are chasing history. Their trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham on March 30 marks the first of a potential 15 games in 64 days that could end with Pep Guardiola and his players becoming football immortals.
No English club has ever achieved a clean sweep of every competition they have entered in a season.
Manchester United famously won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999, while Liverpool pulled off the league, League Cup and European Cup in 1984.
They also won a treble of cup competitions — FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup — in 2001.
Having won the Carabao Cup with a penalty shoot-out win against Chelsea at Wembley last month, City are still in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple and every victory takes them one step closer to succeeding in their quest.
Guardiola admitted after Saturday’s dramatic, and controversial, 3-2 FA Cup quarterfinal victory at Swansea that he was “tired” and in need of a break, but while the international fixtures offer a much-needed opportunity for the City manager and some of his players to catch their breath, it will only be a brief respite because the next two months promise to be hectic, draining and career-defining.
They head into their final 15 games on the back of a remarkable run that has seen them win 18 and lose one of their last 20 fixtures in all competitions. The one draw, against Chelsea at Wembley, still ended with victory on penalties; in essence, they’ve walked off the pitch having won 19 of their last 20 games. If they maintain that kind of form, the record books are likely to be rewritten but fatigue will undoubtedly come into play and they will have to overcome formidable opponents to win all four competitions.
Their route to the quadruple has now been confirmed, so what lies ahead for Guardiola and his team?
City have eight games to play in the Premier League and are currently two points behind leaders Liverpool having played one game fewer.
In the Champions League, City know that victory against Tottenham in the quarterfinals will set up a semifinal clash with either Ajax or Juventus, while only Brighton & Hove Albion stand between them and an FA Cup final encounter with Watford or Wolves on May 18.
The Premier League promises to be the toughest to win because City must play catch-up but in some ways, the intensity of their race with Liverpool could help rather than hinder.
Back in 1999, United and Arsenal were locked in a similar battle for supremacy — two outstanding teams who traded top spot on an almost weekly basis until United won the title on the final day of the season. It promises to be the same this year, with City needing to win their game in hand — against United at Old Trafford — to erase Liverpool’s two-point lead and reclaim top spot.
Gary Neville, a key member of United’s Treble-winning side, said in his autobiography, “Red,” that Arsenal’s form and quality meant United “couldn’t afford to relax for a minute. The opposition was so tough, we knew we had to raise our game.” City have the same problem, or advantage, with Liverpool. If Klopp’s team do not drop points, City will have to win all of their remaining games, including the derby at Old Trafford, so their focus will remain sharp and intense.
The next trophy to tick off will be the FA Cup and this, on paper at least, appears to be the least problematic competition remaining for Guardiola’s men. Brighton, who haven’t beaten City since 1989, sit five points above the Premier League relegation zone and they will be huge outsiders in next month’s FA Cup semifinal. If City win that one, then Watford or Wolves will stand between them and a domestic treble.
