Manchester City Eye Treble After Remarkable Turnaround, Guardiola Urges Calm

Manchester City were struggling badly around this time last year, facing the possibility of ending the season without a trophy for the first time since 2017.

But just one year later, manager Pep Guardiola has rebuilt and inspired the team, putting them in a strong position to chase a domestic treble. If they achieve it, they would become only the second English side to do so, with the first being City themselves in 2019.

City have already won the Carabao Cup this season and are still in the race for the Premier League title. They have also booked a place in another FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, 16 May, making it a record fourth consecutive appearance.

Their journey to the final was not easy. City had to come from behind, scoring two late goals to beat Southampton FC and avoid a surprise defeat.

Their recent FA Cup record has been mixed. They beat Manchester United in 2023 on their way to winning the Treble, but lost to the same rivals the following year and were also beaten by Crystal Palace last May.

When asked about the chances of winning another treble, Guardiola played it down.

“Too far away,” he said. “Before the final [league] game against Aston Villa, after we will tell you if there is a chance, but at the moment is it far, far, far away.

“Now it is important that the players have three days off. I told them not to think about football and just rest. The season starts with five games and an FA Cup final. I would say the Premier League is almost gone, we are back to second, we will see how we arrive [at the end].”