Can City Pull off Unprecedented Quadruple?

By Steve McMahon, Wed 05 December 2018 16:15


Can City Pull off  Unprecedented Quadruple? 

Manchester City are 33/1 shots with Paddy Power for an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, EFL Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League glory.

Neighbours and local rivals United famously did the league, FA Cup and Champions League treble back in 1999, but the scintillating form of Pep Guardiola's domestically unbeaten Sky Blues suggests going one better cannot be ruled out at 14/1. A domestic treble, meanwhile, is a 10/1 chance.

Only French Ligue 1 side Lyon - a hotbed of talent across the Channel - have beaten City during the first four months of the 2018-19 season, yet the Premier League champions have already booked their place in the knockout phase of Europe's elite club competition.

Guardiola's side are firm 7/2 favourites for that elusive Champions League success and their continuing domestic dominance looks assured, despite challenges being thrown down by the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham.

Man City will avoid Barcelona, Spurs if they pip Inter Milan for second place in their group, either Atletico Madrid or Borussia Dortmund, two from Liverpool, Napoli and PSG, Porto, Bayern Munich or Ajax, Lyon, Real Madrid or Roma, Juventus and Manchester United in the last 16 in Europe - provided they top the pool.

Given how the Champions League first knockout round works, Guardiola is far likelier to get an easier two-legged tie as he can't play a fellow English side at that stage and group winners are all seeded.

There's the old cliche about no easy games in the Premier League, yet either side of the Boxing Day game at Leicester, City clash with relegation battlers Crystal Palace and Southampton.

By the time the Sky Blues head to St Mary's for their final fixture of 2018, former manager Mark Hughes may no longer be in charge of the hosts. He is under mounting pressure and a long odds-on favourite in the sack race with Southampton a best-price 11/4 in the Premier League relegation odds.

Towards the end of January, City have trips to Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United, who will need to have strengthened in the winter window just to get competitive with Guardiola's guys.

These highly winnable games come at key times in the campaign where, if the likely progress in domestic cups happens, they may decide to rest some players. 

City are reckoned almost twice as likely not to win a trophy (7/1) as land the Premier League and FA Cup double (9/2), last achieved by Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti back in 2010.

As they've already reached the business end of the EFL Cup and play Leicester on 18 December, Guardiola is just 9/4 to win that competition and retain the Premier League.

There are plenty of other permutations catered for by the bookies when it comes to the Sky Blues too, and these trophy multiples are the best way to get some extra value.

With City red-hot 2/9 favourites for consecutive Premier League triumphs, it's about judging how dominant you believe they can be this season.

"Man City FC" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Airviewsphotos