The key factors that have sparked Manchester City’s treble charge

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Date: 19th May 2023 at 12:40pm
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Manchester City are in a strong position to complete a historic treble victory this season. They have fought back against Arsenal in the league and knocked out heavyweights in Europe. A comfortable FA Cup run has also awarded them a place in the final at Wembley against Manchester United. City have a squad packed to the brim with huge footballing stars. But this season, Pep Guardiola has elevated them to a whole new level through system changes and improvements to individuals.

Guardiola’s system change

This season, Guardiola has adapted his tactical structure to create a 3-2-4-1 formation while City are in possession. This has allowed them to build lengthy periods of sustained pressure, which means they control games even against the toughest opposition. They are a free-scoring outfit that rarely give up chances.

Their dominant style has helped them to build a near-perfect run of form in the second half of the Premier League campaign. In betting on Premier League, City are huge 1/200 favourites to secure success at the expense of Arsenal. Their form has also translated to cup competitions. In a bet on FA Cup, they are 2/7 favourites to defeat their city rivals Manchester United at Wembley, and complete step two of their treble quest.

The most impressive showing of the new system came against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. City entered the second leg level on aggregate with Madrid but dismantled the European heavyweights 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The scoreline was impressive, but the manner in which City controlled the game was even more impressive. The reigning European champions barely showed a hint of leaving a mark on the City team. The number of players that City commit in attack makes it incredibly difficult for the opposition to beat their press on the rare occasion that City loses possession.

Jack Grealish’s stunning form

While tactically Guardiola has taken his team to a new level this season, the individual improvements of some players have also played a large part in their stunning season. Jack Grealish has been heavily criticised for not living up to his £100 million fee since joining the club from Aston Villa. However, this season he has been one of the team’s leading performers. Grealish has so far recorded five goals and seven assists in 28 league appearances this season.

While Grealish’s statistical contributions have increased massively this campaign, his contributions off the ball cannot be understated too. He has been incredibly hardworking in helping to support the defence and win the ball back. Grealish’s resilience out of possession is also a huge factor in City’s high level of control in fixtures.


Overall, City’s new system has allowed them to achieve a stunning level of dominance across all of the competitions they participate in. The system allows them to create numerical superiority across all areas of the pitch. Defensive players often commit themselves forward to help sustain pressure. While attacking players such as Grealish are willing to drop into a defensive role to decrease the chance of City conceding at the other end.

City’s entire squad are committed to giving their full effort in all areas of the pitch, in support of potential treble glory. Their willingness to adapt to a new system and provide maximum effort in and out of possession has left them with a chance of making significant football history. Guardiola’s side could win the treble this season, and hard work and initiative would have sparked the magnificent feat.

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