Pep Guardiola: Can the Spaniard Win a Second FA Cup?

23rd May 2023

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are gunning for a historic treble this season. Having already sewn up the Premier League title, the Citizens are gearing up for the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals.

City Face Rivals Man United in the FA Cup Final

In early June, Man City will go up against fierce rivals Manchester United in the 2022-23 FA Cup final. Looking at the latest football odds, City are the strong favourites to get their hands on the trophy. Guardiola’s men are priced at just 1/4 to win, while Erik ten Hag’s United are available at FA Cup odds of 3/1.

Man City beat Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in the early rounds. They then won 3-0 at Bristol City before thumping Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium. City were too strong for another EFL Championship club in the semi-finals, with a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick giving them a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sheffield United at Wembley. They are now just one win away from a domestic double.

Guardiola Looking to Add Another Trophy to His Glowing Cabinet

Guardiola is one of the most successful managers of all time. The Spaniard conquered Spain with Barcelona and had a great record at Bayern Munich in Germany before making the switch to England.

Guardiola secured his fifth Premier League with Man City this season. They were pushed all the way by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, but the Citizens were too strong for the Gunners in the end. City have dominated English football since Guardiola’s arrival, winning five of the last seven campaigns.

Despite their superiority in the league, Guardiola’s City have picked up just one FA Cup. That sole triumph came in the 2018-19 season, as Man City hammered Watford 6-0 in the final. They completed a domestic treble that year.

Class of 2023 Looking to Make History

Man United are the only team to have won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in one season. They achieved that feat under the great Sir Alex Ferguson back in 1999. With the Premier League title in the bag, Man City are now just two wins away from joining their bitter rivals in the history books.

Naturally, the Red Devils will be doing everything in their power to stop their neighbours. United are searching for a cup double in Ten Hag’s first season in charge, as they beat Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final to secure their first trophy in six years.

The pair have shared the bragging rights this season. In the first meeting at the Etihad, Man City picked up a 6-3 win. However, the Red Devils won the game at Old Trafford in January, coming from behind to claim a 2-1 success.

In the Champions League, Guardiola’s troops take on Italian giants Inter Milan in the Istanbul final. Guardiola won two Champions Leagues with Barca but has yet to guide Man City to UEFA’s elite club competition trophy.

Before turning their attention to Turkey, Man City are looking to get their hands on the FA Cup. The Wembley final takes place exactly seven days before the Champions League final, and it could turn out to be a memorable week in the history of Man City.