LONDON
\nManchester City manager PepGuardiola urged his players to seize the opportunity of a lifetime after they beat arch-rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
\nVictory in the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final, secured by Ilkay Gundogan\u2019s brace of volleyed goals, came hot on the heels of a fifth Premier League title in six seasons under the Spaniard.
\nGuardiola joined Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson as the only managers to win the English double more than once, having also achieved it in the 2018-19 season. He and his relentless players can now achieve sporting immortality next Saturday in Istanbul against Inter Milan when City can be crowned European champions for the first time and match United\u2019s 1998-99 still unique treble under Ferguson.
\n\u201cOne more to come, one more to go and we feel it that we are in a position we probably will never be again,\u201d Guardiola, who has turned City into a domestic powerhouse since arriving in 2016, winning 11 trophies, told reporters.
\n\u201cEverything will not be complete if we don\u2019t win the Champions League now. We have done some incredible seasons.
\n\u201cPremier League to FA Cup to League Cup, but we have to win the Champions League to be recognised how the team deserves to be recognised. We have to admit it, without the Champions League, it has been amazing and fun but we\u2019ll miss it. We have to take our responsibility and we have to do it.\u201d
\nCity were not even at their fluent best against United in Saturday\u2019s Wembley showpiece in which Gundogan scored after 12 seconds \u2013 the fastest ever FA Cup final goal. But they still had too much for a United side who levelled via a Bruno Fernandes penalty and pressed late on but could have few complaints about the final result.
\nGuardiola was tearful at the final whistle as he embraced his celebrating players. But he quickly re-focused on the bigger picture that is now looming large.
\n\u201cTo win the FA Cup the emotions are really special. Now is the first time I can talk about the treble… It is one game away,\u201d said Guardiola, who led Barcelona to a treble of La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey in 2008-09.
\n\u201cI\u2019m thinking about what we have to do to beat Inter. I spoke with the players many times. Forget about it. Focus on what you need to do to beat Inter.\u201d
\nThe one cloud on the horizon for City is Gundogan\u2019s potential move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer, possibly to Guardiola\u2019s old club Barcelona. German midfielder Gundogan, 32, remains an irreplaceable component in Guardiola\u2019s squad and once again showed his knack of scoring crucial goals. He also scored braces in vital Premier League wins over Everton and Leeds United as City relentlessly reeled in Arsenal over the final weeks of the season.
\n\u201cWhat a season,\u201d Guardiola said. \u201cWhen he first arrived in Manchester the skills were there. But he has a special mentality.\u201d
\nAsked about Gundogan\u2019s future, Guardiola said: \u201c(Football director) Txiki (Begiristain) is doing it. Hopefully he will be successful. I hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Manchester City manager PepGuardiola urged his players to seize the opportunity of a lifetime after they beat arch-rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Victory in the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final, secured by Ilkay Gundogan\u2019s brace of volleyed goals, came hot on the heels of a fifth Premier League […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":335583,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-335548","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n