aAfter the storm comes the sun. Josep Guardiola’s side added a new title: EFL Cup champions after Manchester City were narrowly eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid. But that’s not the end.
The 55-year-old manager reached a historic milestone in his career with 40 titles after a 2-0 win over Arsenal thanks to a brace from Nico O’Reilly.
Guardiola two wins in a row
In just five minutes, O’Reilly was a hero, first in the 61st minute when he took advantage of a grave error from Kepa Arrizabalaga to steal the ball and head home, then again in the 65th minute to head home a precise cross from Matheus Nunez.
Pep thus achieved his fifth EFL Cup as the manager of the Citizens, surpassing Mikel Arteta, who now has 40 titles in total and has won the trophy in 16 of his 17 seasons in professional football (he did not win any in the 2016/17 season).
Similarly, Pep becomes only the second manager in history to reach 40 titles, along with all-time leader Alex Ferguson, a record for world football’s absolute elite, although Sir Alex won 49 titles in his 39-year career, according to statistician Alexis Mara Martin-Tamayo Busquez, known as Mr Chip.
O’Reilly’s two goals gave the Citizens their first title of the season in one of England’s two major cups, a trophy they had not won since the 20/21 season. In the other FA Cup, the Sky Blues will face Liverpool in the quarter-finals, but with one less game played in the Premier League, they are nine points behind leaders Arsenal.
Beyond the numbers, his impact goes far beyond trophies. Guardiola influenced generations of players and coaches and was more than just a headache for his rivals with his teams and tactics.
With 40 titles under his belt, the question is no longer whether he will make history, but how far he can go.
Pep’s 40 titles:
Guardiola has already won 19 trophies in his 10 years at City: six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cups, three FA Cups, three Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup and one Club World Cup.
Furthermore, in his four seasons with Bara, he won three La Liga titles, three Super Cups, two Champions League titles, two Copa del Rey titles, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
Finally, in three seasons with Bayern, he won three Bundesliga titles, two DFB Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and one Club World Cup.
