Manchester City have been in ridiculous form this season and have arguably been the best side in European soccer this year. Despite the undoubted quality the blues have had in recent years, they are still waiting for their first Champions League triumph. They have come close, reaching the quarter final stages in four of the last five years. This year, they have just qualified for the semi finals meaning they are within touching distance of their first Champions League crown.
The Champions League is not their only chance of silverware this season though. They sit 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table. As well as this, they have a cup final to look forward to next weekend against Tottenham in the League Cup. As such, this season promises to be a historic season for Manchester City. In this article, I will look at what’s to come and discuss how many trophies they are likely to end up with this season.
League Dominance
Manchester City have been untouchable in the League since Christmas. They have only lost two league games in the 3 and a half months since the turn of the year. Thanks to this, they have amassed a comfortable 11 point gap at the summit of English soccer. The strength of Guardiola’s squad is unmatched. With players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden,
Guardiola is able to make many changes each game. This has ensured that his team remain well rested for every competition. With 6 games to go in the league, City need four wins at most. With the quality of City’s squad, the league title is as good as won for the blues.
League Cup Final
Next weekend, City face Tottenham in the League Cup final at Wembley. It will be Man City’s chance to claim their first of possibly three trophies this season. For Spurs, it is the chance to end their 13-year trophy drought since winning this competition in 2008. Based on form, City should cruise to victory against the North London side.
Tottenham do have the unrivalled quality of center forward, Harry Kane. The Englishman has scored a remarkable 26 goals in all competitions this season. However, he is doubtful for the game with an ankle injury. If Kane does not play, then the game could be an extremely comfortable affair. Regardless of his availability, City should have far too much firepower for Mourinho’s men.
Faltering At The Wrong Time?
Momentum, It is one of the most powerful things in all of sport. So often, a team gathers momentum at the right time of a competition and then just can’t be stopped. There is no arguing that City certainly had a lot of a momentum a few weeks ago. However, they have had a couple of poor results in recent weeks which without doubt have halted their momentum at a crucial time in the season.
They have actually lost 2 of their last 3 games. Just yesterday, the blues crashed out of the FA Cup in the semi finals against a revitalized Chelsea side. Before this loss, there was plenty of talk about Man City achieving an unprecedented quadruple – winning the Premier league, Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup. However, this dream has been ended. Guardiola’s side will have to return to winning ways very quickly if they are to make sure that they still have at least a couple of trophies in the cabinet come June.
My Prediction
I think that the Premier league is as good as one for Manchester City. There is no chance that the blues will let their sizeable advantage go over the last 6 games. I also think that they will cruise past Tottenham in the League Cup Final. The quality of players that they have simply cannot be matched by Spurs. The Champions league is a much harder competition to predict. I feel that City do have a great chance to win the competition but the way their form has dropped in recent weeks does concern me. I think they will get to the Finals but lose here to either Chelsea or Real Madrid. As such, I think they will finish the season with two trophies.