Pep Guardiola and Manchester City secured a historic treble, including a maiden Champions League title, in the 2022/23 season.
On the domestic front, the Citizens secured the Premier League title on May 20 after Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal 1-0, and they defeated their local rivals at Wembley Stadium on June 3 to win the FA Cup.
In Europe, they reached only their second Champions League final in their history after destroying Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the semifinals.
Rodri's winner against Inter Milan in the final proved decisive on June 10 to see them secure a historic treble.
There had been a lot of pressure put on Guardiola as the Spaniard had previously failed to win Europe's top honour with City. Star striker Erling Haaland also stated that his goal was to win the Champions League with the club.
Below is a breakdown of City's remarkable treble triumph.
MORE: Man City vs Inter Milan Champions League final highlights
MORE: Pep Guardiola trophies won at Manchester City
😤 Another one!
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) June 3, 2023
Pep Guardiola has a 100% record in domestic cup finals as #MCFC manager:
🏆 2018 League Cup
🏆 2019 League Cup
🏆 2019 FA Cup
🏆 2020 League Cup
🏆 2021 League Cup
🆕 2023 FA Cup pic.twitter.com/8CAA9RwjQ3
Who did Man City beat to win the treble?
Man City's treble hopes rest on the final game of the season when they need to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
Premier League
Man City were confirmed as Premier League champions when Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest on May 20. They finished the league season with 89 points, four above the Gunners.
| Pos | Team | Points | Matches Played |
Goals Scored |
Goal Difference |
Next Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Man City | 89 | 38 | 94 | +61 | — |
| 2. | Arsenal | 85 | 38 | 88 | +45 | — |
MORE: Watch every Premier League match live with Fubo in Canada
Champions League
Man City faced Inter Milan in the Champions League final on June 10, winning the match 1-0 courtesy of Rodri's second-half strike.
After beating Bayern Munich, Guardiola's side faced Real Madrid in the semifinals of the Champions League.
They were knocked out by Madrid last year at the same stage after a very late comeback from the reigning champions. Rodrygo scored twice in injury time before Karim Benzema scored a penalty in extra-time to seal a 6-5 defeat on aggregate for Man City.
This time around, City claimed a 1-1 draw in Madrid, with Kevin De Bruyne on target for the visitors. In the return fixture in England, Guardiola's men utterly destroyed the holders, winning 4-0 on the night to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Champions League fixtures for Man City
| Date | Stage | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6 | Group Stage (Group G) | Sevilla (A) | W / 4-0 |
| Sept. 14 | Group Stage (Group G) | Borussia Dortmund (H) | W / 2-1 |
| Oct. 5 | Group Stage (Group G) | Copenhagen (H) | W / 5-0 |
| Oct. 11 | Group Stage (Group G) | Copenhagen (A) | D / 1-1 |
| Oct. 25 | Group Stage (Group G) | Borussia Dortmund (A) | D / 0-0 |
| Nov. 2 | Group Stage (Group G) | Sevilla (H) | W / 3-1 |
| Feb. 22 | Round of 16 1st Leg | RB Leipzig (A) | D / 1-1 |
| March 14 | Round of 16 2nd Leg | RB Leipzig (H) | W / 7-0 |
| April 11 | Quarterfinal 1st leg | Bayern Munich (H) | W / 3-0 |
| April 19 | Quarterfinal 2nd leg | Bayern Munich (A) | D / 1-1 |
| May 9 | Semifinal 1st leg | Real Madrid (A) | D / 1-1 |
| May 17 | Semifinal 2nd leg | Real Madrid (H) | W / 4-0 |
| June 10 | Final | Inter Milan (N) | W / 1-0 |
FA Cup
Man City overcame rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final, winning 2-1 at Wembley Stadium on June 3.
Ilkay Gundogan scored after just 12 seconds, and although Bruno Fernandes equalised with a penalty, Gundogan struck again in the second half to secure the victory.
The Citizens cruised into the final via a 3-0 victory over Sheffield United in the semi-finals, with Riyad Mahrez netting a hat-trick. Meanwhile, United made it via a penalty shootout win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
| Date | Stage | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 8 | Third Round | Chelsea (H) | W / 4-0 |
| Jan. 27 | Fourth Round | Arsenal (H) | W / 1-0 |
| Feb. 28 | Round of 16 | Bristol City (A) | W / 3-0 |
| Mar. 18 | Quarterfinals | Burnley (H) | W / 6-0 |
| Apr. 22 | Semifinals | Sheffield United (N) | W / 3-0 |
| June 3 | Final | Manchester United (N) | W / 2-1 |
MORE: The updated list of Erling Haaland and his record-breaking Man City exploits
Have Man City won a treble before?
Yes — but not like the one they achieved in 2022/23.
During the 2018/19 season, Guardiola led Man City to the Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup domestic treble. It was the first time in the club's history that they won three trophies in one season (four, if you include the Community Shield).
The title race went down to the wire as they beat Liverpool to the league by just one point. They kept their nerve on the final day to win 4-1 away to Brighton, ending the season on 98 points.
City beat Chelsea on penalties in the EFL Cup final before thrashing Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final.
However, winning a treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League would certainly surpass City's achievement of four years ago. It would also see them match the feat of Man United, who are the only English club to have won those three trophies in the same season.
Guardiola, of course, achieved a very similar feat while head coach of Barcelona, winning Spain's La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in 2008/09.
