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Manchester City winning the treble would be fitting reward for Pep Guardiola's limitless ambition

Manchester City's Pep Guardiola speaks during a press conference at Manchester City Football Academy 
Why is the domestic treble so hard to win and why has it never been done? Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Channelling Andy Murray, who gave a similar answer in tennis, Pep Guardiola responded thus to a question about Manchester City posting English football’s first domestic Treble: "The first time in men's football. The women have done it.”

But Guardiola’s gender-spanning reply leaves the mystery unsolved. In England, where there have been 11 League title and FA Cup doubles by seven clubs stretching back to 1889, no team has ever won the League Cup, championship and FA Cup in a single season. Watford stand between Guardiola’s City and the end of an historical oddity. As the smallest of those competitions was was born only in 1960-61, the Treble’s impregnability is really only 58 years year old - yet a City win at Wembley would still excite historians.

"I can't even tell you how much I'm motivated to win against Watford," said Vincent Kompany after City had retained their Premier League on Sunday. "I know players and fans will think City are celebrating now and we can catch them off guard, but I can promise you the opposite.”

This zealotry reflects Guardiola’s covetousness, which he has imposed on his players. It may also express an urge to upstage the Premier League’s four European finalists - Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal. But the chance to leave a mark in history will also appeal to a team who may otherwise have been susceptible to a motivation dip after such a stellar league campaign.

Domestic Trebles in Scotland are routine. Rangers have won seven and Celtic five. Benfica scored one in Portugal in 2014; in France, Paris Saint-Germain have three. In Germany in 1999-2000, Bayern Munich prevailed in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFL-Ligapokal. Only in England, of the major footballing nations, though, is so much importance attached to not one but two Cup competitions. Traditionalists call this a strength of the English game. Many foreign managers on the other hand consider it an absurdity and an affront.

And for that reason the League, or EFL, or Carabao Cup has tended to come a remote fourth in the priorities of Premier League clubs: a chance to play fringe players and academy graduates. Most clubs take the view that they will try to win it if the opportunity presents itself but not at the expense of league form. The FA Cup is now increasingly viewed with the same ambivalence.

But not by Guardiola, who has the depth of squad to hunt down all four trophies available to him. Losing a tight Champions League quarter-final to Spurs killed City’s quadruple hopes but paid a divided on their earnest approach to the domestic cup competitions. When Guardiola fielded strong teams to beat Rotherham 7-0 in the FA Cup third-round and Burton Albion 9-0 in the League Cup semi-final-first leg, he affirmed his intention to chase every pot on offer. Even in the return-leg against Burton, with a 9-0 lead, City started with Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Sergio Aguero - and sent on Gabriel Jesus and Benjamin Mendy.

Sergio Aguero of Man City scores their 1st goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Burton Albion and Manchester City
Sergio Aguero scored Man City's first goal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Burton Credit: GETTY IMAGES

No other great English club side has been able (or willing) to spread its resources like this across four competitions - especially since the Champions League has become so consuming. Three sides have won both Cup competitions in a season: Arsenal in 1993, Liverpool in 2001 and Chelsea in 2007. None could add the league title to that roll.

The gold standard remains Manchester United’s 1999 Treble of League, FA Cup and Champions League, in a 10-day period between 16 and 26 May. City have had since 24 February to admire the League Cup trophy. United’s win over Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp 20 years ago established a higher order of glamour than City are pursuing against Watford. Where it best compares is in the extraordinary mental and physical commitment of teams who became ravenous for success under charismatic and insatiable managers.

Guardiola redirected the pain of City’s Champions League let-down into a fresh urge to annex all the other prizes. He said this week: “I could not say to the players, 'forget it'. I told them 'live with the hurt, it is good, and live with the situation for as long as possible'. We have to accept it - sometimes you win when you don't deserve it, sometimes you lose, it is life. Life is not easy, life does not come to you how you want, it happens.

"Football is incredible emotions, when you are in the moment you have to run and celebrate. I would do it again and again. How we reacted, beating Tottenham, Manchester United and Burnley [in the league] - this team is incredible."

City’s presence in the FA Cup final is less remarkable than their 14-match winning run to reel-in Liverpool. They needed extra-time and penalties to beat Chelsea in the League Cup final. So this whole campaign has been one of struggle as well as radiance.  Guardiola joined City in July 2016 yet could become only the eighth manager to have won the league, League Cup and FA Cup over a whole career in England, alongside Bill Nicholson, Don Revie, Joe Mercer, Kenny Dalglish, George Graham, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.

Losing to Watford would deepen the 58-year Treble hoodoo. Victory would bring a reward for spending, yes, but also for ambition, whenever and wherever Guardiola could find a target for his cravings.

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