Pep Guardiola and his minions continue to leave spectators dumbfounded with their genius. They continue to improve as the season goes on and didn’t even have to play Chelsea to be Premier League champion, following Arsenal’s crumble in the City Ground.
A third League title on the bounce and a fifth in seven years of Pep Guardiola in the England. City’s command in just too strong, and Madrid have also become one of their victim of utter domination.
Just before the FIFA World Cup break they struggled, even losing to Brentford at the Ethiad for the first time in more than 80 years but since the restart, goodness they’ve been devastating for anyone in their way.
Their only two loses post World Cup have come against Manchester United in the league, no thanks to a Bruno Fernandes’s controversial goal while the other was an unusual 2-0 scoreline, which saw them eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Southampton.
They have proven themselves to be too good, so much that they have won their last three Champions League home games against RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid by an aggregate of 14-0.
When you are that good, your luck becomes frequent and for this club, who have been a victim of tough luck, it is time to look back at that hurtful night in Lisbon as just an unfortunate night of football, with their hopes of being European champion renewed.
The future is coming, and the promise it holds is the epitome of it all. Manchester City have their sights on history, and there appears a no easier route for them to achieve that.
Treble is on the table, with one down and two to go, but the UEFA Champions League headlines the rest, as the European number one club competition is the prize that has eluded the Citizens till date.
Their consistency in the competition is second to only a few. The Citizens have reached the semi finals of the Champions League in each of the last three, and maybe now the heavens will smile on them.
Millions has been invested since the appointment of Pep Guardiola just less than six years ago, and two seasons ago they reached the climax, but the contest for them didn’t end in climax.
A Kai Havertz’s first half goal sealed a 1-0 win for English rival, Chelsea in Lisbon, making the Manchester based club a victim of what has slowly but surely become the new normal for first time finalist of the competition.
Since the start of the 2000s, every team reaching the Champions League final for the first time ever, has ended up on the losing side.
Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Monaco, Arsenal, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur before Pep Guardiola’s side became the latest victim of the unfortunate trend.
The Spaniard will want to belief his side have paid their dues and it’s time time finally deliver the prize that the Citizens crave, and one that has eluded himself since last winning with Barcelona twelve seasons ago.
Inter Milan stands in their way to achieving that. The Nerazurri will be no pushover in Istanbul as they have set themselves up in this position, breaking some jinx on their way.
Before completing the double over Milan in the semi finals, no Italian team has ever gone past the Rossonerri in the Champions League history. Inter did exactly that and in convincing fashion, sealing a 3-0 aggregate win under the lights in the Giuseppe Maezza.
But having themselves blown away record winners and defending Champion, Real Madrid in the last round, City have earned the rights and have reasons to be optimistic as favorites next month in Istanbul.
Manchester United awaits in the Emirates FA Cup final later this month while they have already been confirmed champion of the Premier League despite having three games left.
Their fate is in their own hands and if there’s a team in the world that can do it, it is Manchester City. However, this is football and they can not be assured of doing it until they get it done.
Their city rival, Manchester United are the only English team to have won a treble, doing so in the 1999. That has remained a proud moment in the history of the club, moreso as no other team in England hasbl been able to achieve it. It is also a fact that United continously use to taunt City or any team in the country.
.jpeg)
Now Pep Guardiola’s side have it in their hands while it all look like it’s theirs to lose. Manchester United have already been beaten for six goals earlier in the season and on current form, not many will bet against them repeating the act.
It will be their first time ever playing Inter in a competitive competitive, but they have a good record against Italian teams, losing four and winning six in 16 games.
History awaits City come the end of their final game of the season, which will be against Inter in Istanbul and then we can look back at it all, if it really has indeed been a historical season for the blue side of Manchester.
Author : Kehinde Hassan Afolabi
