CLub football is currently taking a breather during the FIFA International break, but this tranquility will not last long. When the domestic league resumes in April, we will begin a relentless sprint towards the Champions League final and the crowning of champions in the 2025-26 season. In England, the first trophy of the “big three” has already been won, with Manchester City lifting the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 win over Arsenal.
This leaves two major awards. The FA Cup is currently ‘Shark Tank’ in the quarter-final stage, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool still holding their breath. This draw has decided a big clash between City and Liverpool, with the final game coming up on May 16th.
Meanwhile, Arsenal is in control of the Premier League. The Gunners currently hold a nine-point lead, despite having played one more game than City. However, with City eliminated from the Champions League and Arsenal still fighting on three fronts, the title race is certainly more open than the table suggests.
Guardiola’s 40 trophies: How does he compare to Sir Alex Ferguson’s record?
By defeating Arsenal in the Carabao final, Josep Guardiola officially won his 40th major trophy as manager after legendary stints at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. This milestone makes him only the second manager in history to reach the 40-trophy mark, behind absolute leader Sir Alex Ferguson, 49.
What’s really surprising to football historians isn’t just the numbers, it’s the efficiency. Sir Alex built an empire that won 49 trophies over a career spanning over 35 years. Guardiola reached 40 points in less than 20 games. This pace suggests that Pep will do more than just break records. I might blow it before it’s over.
Rounding out the elite “top five” are Guardiola and Romania’s Mircea Lucescu (35 years old), Italy’s Carlo Ancelotti (30 years old) who is expected to lead the Brazilian national team at the next World Cup, and legendary Ukrainian player Valery Lobanovskiy (29 years old).
Road to 42: Can Manchester City reform Arsenal to win a domestic double?
Guardiola has a legitimate aim of closing the gap on Ferguson even further by the summer, but the path to doing so will not be easy. Catching Arsenal in the Premier League is the toughest task on the calendar. City essentially need the Gunners to stumble in at least one of their final seven games, even though there are games left and a big head-to-head at the Etihad still left. It’s a ‘wait and see’ game, but City’s experience in late season struggles is unparalleled.
The FA Cup offers a more direct, albeit brutal, path. They must first survive a heavyweight showdown with Liverpool, then a final against either Chelsea or Arsenal. The Champions League exit was a bitter pill to swallow for Manchester’s blue team, but it brought with it a hidden benefit: energy.
Without midweek travel and the intensity of European nights, Guardiola can keep his starting XI fresh for domestic games. If they can achieve the double title, they will enter next season with seven trophies left to achieve immortality.
