Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United: Pep Guardiola's side's bid for Treble is 'definitely on'

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Manchester City's Treble bid is good and genuinely on.

Pep Guardiola's broadside are perchance present arsenic fewer arsenic 12 games distant from a singular Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup triple and go conscionable the 2nd English squad to execute the feat.

Riyad Mahrez's hat-trick was much than capable to powerfulness them past Sheffield United astatine Wembley connected Saturday and into the FA Cup final, ending their streak of 3 successive semi-final defeats successful the competition.

They big Premier League leaders Arsenal connected Wednesday - trailing by 5 points but with 2 games successful manus - and person a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid connected the horizon.

Guardiola has been speedy to disregard immoderate speech of the Treble - again calling it "far away" aft the Wembley semi-final - but going into the climax to the play connected a 16-match unbeaten tally successful each competitions, it feels progressively apt they volition get precise adjacent to landing it.

And adjacent helium admits his players person the close mentality to triumph trophies.

"Fighting for the titles, being determination each year, means the mentality of the nine - not conscionable the players - is there," the Spaniard said.

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The full of Europe is wowed by what Manchester City are doing and however they're playing."

Ex-Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville believes the Treble is "definitely on".

'Am I excited astir the Treble? Not astatine all'

Ask Guardiola astir immoderate Treble chance, though, and you volition get abbreviated shrift.

"I'll speech to you astir it aft we person won the FA Cup and Premier League," helium said.

"Before the last of the Champions League we volition commencement to speech of the Treble. Look however acold distant it is. We are far, acold away. How galore times successful this astonishing state person Trebles been done? How galore years? How galore teams?

"It is one. Once. Our neighbours did it successful however galore centuries? Am I excited astir the Treble? Not astatine all."

He has not got an casual occupation silencing the increasing speech astir it though - particularly aft Mahrez's starring semi-final show demonstrated erstwhile again the spot successful extent astatine Guardiola's disposal.

The Spaniard made six changes from the broadside that progressed past Bayern Munich successful the Champions League successful midweek but, aft Mahrez's opening punishment eased immoderate nerves, City cruised into their archetypal FA Cup last since 2019.

Mahrez, who became the archetypal City subordinate to people a Wembley hat-trick and is the archetypal scorer of a semi-final treble since 1958, said: "We truly privation to enactment hard successful each contention going.

"We're successful the last of the FA Cup which is amazing. Now we person to ore connected the league and the adjacent crippled against Arsenal.

"We person a precise bully squad and a precise bully team. We person to support going."

Manchester City volition look the winners of Brighton against Manchester United astatine Wembley successful aboriginal June and are considered favourites to support their Premier League rubric aft Arsenal's caller wobble.

Roy Keane, who won the Treble with Manchester United successful 1998-99, told ITV: "They are peaking astatine a large clip and look successful large signifier to triumph the large trophies.

"They person a fewer hurdles to get over, successful peculiar Real Madrid. They are red-hot favourites for the league and cupful but the large hurdle is Real Madrid."

Osman added connected 5 live: "Manchester City person made different measurement towards that Treble. It's on, they're marching on truly well, they're afloat of confidence. They're truly winning games astatine a canter astatine times. Bring connected the large ones to come.

"Not galore teams are capable to support up, lone a fewer successful the Premier League and 1 oregon 2 successful the pinnacle of European football."

How uncommon is simply a Treble?

Manchester City's Premier League rubric triumph successful 2019 earned them a historical home treble, arsenic they became the archetypal English men's squad to triumph the top-flight league arsenic good arsenic some cups.

But, portion a hugely awesome achievement, winning the league title, FA Cup and European Cup is considered by galore to beryllium the beatified grail.

Guardiola's men are lone 12 games distant from becoming the 10th European broadside to expanse the committee - with the accidental of joining Manchester United arsenic the lone English broadside to bash it.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool had dreams of a quadruple past play - to lucifer Celtic's unmatched accomplishment successful 1967 - but yet had to settee for a home cupful double.

Liverpool fans volition rightly punctual radical of their 2 trebles; winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup successful 2001, and the European Cup, League Cup and First Division rubric successful 1984 - making it conscionable 4 trebles successful the past of English men's football.

A look astatine the grounds books shows that adjacent winning 2 trophies is seldom achieved.

In 2019 City became the archetypal men's squad to triumph the FA Cup and the Premier League successful the aforesaid play since Chelsea did it successful 2009-10 and lone the eighth nine successful past to bash so.

Only Liverpool and Manchester United - who person some done it doubly - person won the European Cup and league treble successful England.

Manchester City person won 9 large trophies since Guardiola took complaint successful 2016. Will they marque it 12 successful 7 seasons? You wouldn't regularisation it out.

'Never a amended accidental to triumph each three'

BBC Sports main shot writer Phil McNulty from Wembley: Manchester City look successful ominously ultimate signifier to emulate Manchester United's celebrated feat of 1999 by winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

Pep Guardiola's broadside person enactment themselves successful the cleanable presumption to triumph each 3 aft a superb week successful which they acceptable up a Champions League semi-final with holders Real Madrid and reached an FA Cup last against Brighton oregon Manchester United by beating Sheffield United astatine Wembley.

And the immense entity bluish shadiness is closing successful the rear presumption reflector of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a perchance decisive gathering against the Gunners astatine Etihad Stadium connected Wednesday.

Real Madrid are outstanding successful the Champions League but they volition clasp nary terrors for City, particularly aft the summation of the explosive Erling Haaland since their melodramatic Champions League semi-final past season.

City person arguably ne'er had a amended accidental to assertion each 3 of the large prizes for what is rightly regarded arsenic the cleanable Treble. They person formidable all-round spot and are reaching a crescendo conscionable erstwhile Guardiola would person wanted them to.

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