Manchester City Claim Victory Against Brighton
If Manchester City can achieve their Quadruple during the 2018/19 season, their semi-final victory in the FA Cup against Brighton will be considered the day that the team caught their breath prior to their last charge to the summit.
Two decades ago, when Manchester United managed to overcome Arsenal during the FA Cup semi-final on their way to a Treble, it was considered the clash of the ages with a two game sensation, won by the stunning solo goal of Ryan Giggs, allowing Sir Alex Ferguson’s team to propel to what seemed like an unmatchable achievement.
Manchester City and Their Quest for a Quadruple
Manchester City are still en route to achieve one better in the 2018/19 season following their 1-0 victory against Brighton on Saturday to secure their place in the FA Cup final next month where they will either face Wolves or Watford. However, the memory of the victory in Wembley might fade after a few weeks instead of being remember two decades from now.
It was essentially a non-event after Gabriel Jesus managed to place Manchester City in the lead after the fourth minute cross from Kevin De Bruyne. Brighton’s energy was immediately sapped after the goal, while struggling to survive in the Premier League. The team didn’t look capable of fighting back and Manchester City were well aware of this fact.
Once Manchester City was ahead, the team knew that they were going to win, and even though Pep Guardiola was screaming orders from the sideline, the squad knew that they could relax for the rest of the game to conserve their energy and legs for bigger games that lie ahead. There’s no doubt that the Quadruple is still in play, even if the Manchester City manager remains sceptical about the chances of the team actually pulling it off.
“No one has ever accomplished it, so why on earth would we be able to do it?” Guardiola stated at Wembley after the match. “It’s nearly impossible to achieve it all and that is the simple truth to the matter.”
After claiming victory at Wembley during the Carabao Cup with a penalty shootout against Chelsea on 24 February 2019, Manchester City have played a total of 8 matches and won each and every one of them. Apart from the FA Cup quarterfinal victory against Swansea in March, when Manchester City managed to fight back from 2-0 to a 3-2 win, the team has won every single game without being stretched.
Manchester City have scored a total of 20 goals in 8 games and only conceded 3. While Liverpool was pushed to the limited, Manchester City was coasting, being neither below par nor spectacular in their games. The only question that remains is can Manchester City continue with their winning streak going forward or will they falter at the challenges that lie ahead? The quarterfinal clash on Tuesday against Tottenham Hotspur will certainly answer that question. Let’s see if they have what it takes to obtain their Quadruple.