Manchester City head coach, Pep Guardiola, has sent a strong message to his team, cautioning them about the threat posed by their rivals, Manchester United, in their pursuit of a treble. The upcoming FA Cup final at Wembley holds great significance for City, who are aiming to add the trophy to their already impressive Premier League title and Champions League final appearance.

Guardiola’s squad secured their fifth Premier League title in six seasons with three games to spare, allowing them to rest key players and fine-tune their tactics for the decisive matches that lie ahead. However, the City boss is fully aware that United stands in the way of their quest to replicate their neighbors’ historic treble triumph in 1999.

United remains the only English club to have won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in a single season. While City may be favorites against Inter Milan in the Champions League final, Guardiola acknowledges the challenge that United poses. He closely analyzed United’s recent 4-1 victory over Chelsea and still recalls City’s 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

Speaking about the upcoming clash, Guardiola emphasized, “Right now, my focus is solely on United. I watched their game against Chelsea and was genuinely impressed. I have started reviewing our previous match against them at Old Trafford. As always, we need to be cautious. Given their recent performances, we will prepare ourselves to the best of our abilities.”

Despite Guardiola’s cautious approach, City’s dominance in English football has been undeniable. They have emerged as the first dynasty since United’s Ferguson era, and the team has every reason to believe they can secure their second FA Cup title under Guardiola’s leadership. In their earlier meeting this season, City defeated United convincingly with a 6-3 victory, and their 12 consecutive league wins secured their third consecutive Premier League title. While they suffered their first loss in 26 games against Brentford last weekend, fielding a weakened team, they remain confident.

Erling Haaland, who has had a phenomenal first season in England, will be a key player for City. The Norwegian striker has scored an impressive 52 goals in all competitions, including a record-breaking 36 in the Premier League alone. Although Ten Hag managed to keep Haaland goalless in their previous encounter, he remains a potent threat.

Ten Hag has had an impressive debut season with United, ending their six-year trophy drought with a League Cup victory against Newcastle in February. He became only the second manager in United’s history to win a major trophy in his first season, and a victory against City at Wembley would be a significant achievement. Despite the absence of the injured Anthony Martial, United, who finished third in the Premier League, are determined to spoil City’s treble aspirations.

United goalkeeper David De Gea expressed the team’s determination, stating, “We are fully aware that this is a major final, a special game. Throughout the year, we have fought hard to be in this position and win titles. We will give absolutely everything to try and emerge victorious.”

As the stage is set for the highly anticipated all-Manchester FA Cup final, fans eagerly await the clash between these fierce rivals, with both teams aiming to etch their names in history.

YNaija