Pep Guardiola Downplays Manchester City’s Treble Hopes Despite FA Cup Final Booking

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has brushed off talk of an historic Treble for his side, despite booking their place in the FA Cup final with a commanding 5-0 victory over Sheffield United at Wembley.

A Riyad Mahrez hat-trick saw the Citizens sweep aside their opponents and set up a potential final against arch-rivals Manchester United, who face Brighton in their quarter-final tie on Sunday.

Guardiola, however, refused to be drawn on the prospect of lifting three trophies this season, instead focusing on the Premier League title race against Arsenal, with the two teams set to square off on Wednesday night.

In a light-hearted moment, Guardiola quipped that United “don’t have to be scared” of City’s potential Treble challenge, adding, “We are far away. For a funny moment, it’s okay, but the reality was just to come here and perform.”

Despite the gulf in class between City and their opponents on Sunday, Guardiola was quick to praise the entire club for their consistency in winning titles, saying, “What I’m impressed by at this club is everyone – hierarchy, backroom staff – is winning titles, winning titles, and we are still there. That is what makes me proud the most as a manager.”

Looking ahead to the possibility of winning multiple trophies this season, Guardiola cautioned against getting carried away, stating, “One year you can do it. I don’t want to win one Champions League and then after you’re in the bottom. This club is quite stable.”

The Spanish manager also expressed gratitude towards his players for their continued efforts, saying, “I’m still here because we won; otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. After six years, we are in the last seven weeks still fighting for the titles, the biggest ones, and this is the most important trophy we can get. Thank you to the guys.”