Assessing Manchester City’s chances of an unprecedented treble

It seems with each passing victory, and each Erling Haaland goal, that Manchester City are moving closer and closer to winning the treble. While this is an outlandish statement with so much football left to play, the international break provides an opportunity for Pep Guardiola’s men to recharge their batteries and prepare for the most competitive six weeks of their careers — juggling domestic responsibilities in the FA Cup and Premier League with picking up a first Champions League title.

Indeed, teams have come close before, with Liverpool looking like bringing a quartet of trophies back to Anfield before City won the title on the final day of last season. However, the depth and sheer quality of Guardiola’s well-oiled machine has them sitting pretty atop most football betting sites despite Arsenal’s rise and their inability to get the job done in Europe.

But could this season see a real change and establish City as a genuine giant outside of English shores? With that in mind, let’s take a look at each of the competitions City will be hoping to win come the end of the seasons and assess their chances. Read on to find out more.

Premier League

The problem that City face in their hopes of winning a third successive Premier League title is they have left themselves too much to do when looking to catch Arsenal. Mikel Arteta, Guardiola’s former assistant, has built the Gunners into a consistent unit that rarely drops points, but they exposed their few weaknesses when City beat them at the Emirates. The return fixture certainly looks interesting, and could go a long way to deciding who lifts the title, and with Arsenal still needing to play Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, they could drop crucial points which would allow City to close the gap and make it a Premier League hat-trick.

Champions League

One trophy everyone at the Etihad campus would love more than any is the Champions League. Beaten finalists two years ago, Guardiola perhaps defeated himself in pursuit of a first European title in a decade, and with so much on the line they capitulated in Portugal. However, Haaland’s goals show City can be a different beast.

Although they received a tough draw in German champions Bayern Munich, man for man they have a better squad than the Bavarians, who are in transition from the dominance they experienced before being taken over by the young and exciting Julian Nagelsmann. If they make it to the semi-finals they potentially face 14-time champions and current holders Real Madrid, making their run to Istanbul for the final on June 10 far from straightforward.

FA Cup

The competition that City are most favoured to win is the FA Cup. Having last won football’s oldest tournament when they thrashed Watford in 2019, a win over Championship leaders Burnley, managed by club legend Vincent Kompany, was enough to ensure yet another day out at Wembley. They were beaten by Liverpool in last season’s competition but you wouldn’t expect Guardiola to rotate his team to the same extent as they face Sheffield United, then either Brighton or Manchester United in a mouth-watering derby.