Manchester City midfielder, Bernardo Silva has made some lofty claims of winning it all this season, as Pep Guardiola and his men continue to perform consistently in multiple competitions.
City are sitting comfortably at the summit of the Premier League as they hold a ten-point lead over second-placed Manchester United. Guardiola’s men are already in the finals of the Carabao Cup where they will be facing Tottenham Hotspurs. Silva and company have been a force to reckon with in the Champions League as they defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 away from home in the round of 16 fixture. They are also well placed in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and are big contenders to win that as well.
Silva feels that the dream of a historic quadruple is on the cards after City’s dominant 2-0 away win against Monchengladbach. He said,
Of course, we are going to try [to win the Champions League].
We know we have good momentum, but this is just the last 16. We are going to try and do well in the second leg to go through to the quarter-finals.
Then we have the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup. It is going to be a tough season, but we are going to try to win them all.
Guardiola’s men are on a dream run and with their convincing win over Monchengladbach takes their winning streak to a whopping 19 matches. They have had a dream start to 2021 as their last draw came way back in December last year against West Bromwich Albion at home.
City’s mantra of being ruthless starts from their backline, as they have one of the best defences in all over Europe. They have only conceded 15 goals in 25 Premier League matches and the same has reflected on their journey in Europe, where they have only conceded twice in seven outings till now.
This is not the first time Manchester City are looking like proper contenders for the Champions League. But they have disappointed several times. But this season things have been a lot different as they are more synchronised and also solid at the back. The strong backline allows their forwards to play with more freedom and therefore they create a lot more chances.
The Portugal international also shared the same thought as he feels a solid defence is needed to win competitions. He added,
It is the key to winning competitions; to have a solid defence, a solid team that doesn’t concede many chances or goals.
We are happy with how solid our defenders, goalkeeper and midfielders are, and everyone helps from the striker to the goalkeeper. It is very important to be solid and try and concede as few goals as you can if you want to be successful.
Manchester City’s defensive duo of Ruben Dias and John Stones have been exemplary this season and therefore supporters, critics and others have showered praise on them. Former City winger Trevor Sinclair also appreciated the efforts of Dias and Stones. He feels that there is a touch of Vidic and Ferdinand among the current City centre-backs.
Speaking about the Stones and Dias partnership, Sinclair said,
It’s been outstanding. It kind of reminds me of when Vidic and Rio were together – one of them would make a block and they’d high five each other. It just seems they’ve got that kind of relationship and chemistry where they respect each other.
They look like they’re a really good contrast of players; one of them wants to head the ball, Ruben Dias is a really good talker and John Stones’ stats… he’s played eight, won seven and drawn one and lost none.
A great defence, a lot of technical midfielders, and panache upfront are making Manchester City dream for their historic quadruple this season. With every passing match, Pep Guardiola’s men look more likely to achieve that iconic feat.
