Manchester City have done it. They are the champions of Europe for the first time in their history and have become the second English club to win the immortalising treble which includes the Premier League and the FA Cup. A second half strike from Rodri has written the Cityzens into English football legend, while he has cemented himself into Manchester City folklore.
They have matched the feat accomplished by rivals Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson 24 years ago. It is an accomplishment that no one else could boast for almost a quarter of a century, but with how exceptional Manchester City have been over the past few years, they have looked like the only side to match such an achievement.
As the first team to accomplish the treble, you can’t take anything away from that United side. But for the way that this City team plays and has played for several years, their triumph is that much more impressive. Not just in the beauty of the way they play, but the certain tactics that Pep Guardiola has helped to revolutionise the game, such as centre-backs operating as full-backs who then step into midfield, or full-backs who effectively operate as central midfielders.
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Ever since Guardiola stepped through the Etihad Stadium doors back in 2016 the ambition has always been to make Manchester City the champions of Europe. Seven years later that dream has become a reality. It has been a long road up until this point. While Guardiola has made his team the most formidable force back home, they have had their many setbacks on the Champions League stage.
Their first final appearance two years ago was meant to be the moment that City got the moment they had always wanted, but as we know they were stunned by Chelsea and it was back to the drawing board. Last year it seemed like fortune was against them winning this competition as they crashed out in the semi-finals following a collapse against Real Madrid.
12 months later they completely bested the side that put their dream on hold. City dominated Los Blancos in a 4-0 drubbing at the Etihad Stadium to reach this year’s showpiece and you felt then that this time it was different. Across all competitions in the past few months, Guardiola’s blue machine has been unstoppable.
They snatched their third Premier League title in a row after being eight points behind challengers Arsenal which included an incredible 12-match winning streak in the top flight. As much as they have loved their constant domestic success, their eyes have always been on the bigger prize, the Champions League.
As you can imagine in a final of this magnitude, they were made to work for it. While many assumed the battle with Inter Milan was deemed to be a walk in the park, the Italian giants proved those doubters wrong. They set-up brilliantly to frustrate City and while they had the lion’s share of the possession, they couldn’t really be as penetrating with it as they would have liked.
It took a moment of brilliance to win them the game, which Rodri courteously provided with one of his trademark strikes from the edge of the box. Although Ederson did his fair share in goal to pull off some incredible saves to get them over the line.
Rodri may have got the moment of glory but as a collective, these City players have been outstanding. Not just this season but throughout Guardiola’s reign. Captain Ilkay Gundogan was the Spaniard’s first signing in 2016, so it was quite poetic to see him lift the club’s first Champions League title. These club legends all deserve statues outside the Etihad Stadium, alongside the other greats in recent memory, including Vincent Kompany and David Silva.
It’s been said for years that this City side is one of the best that English football has ever seen. After this they have to be labelled as the best this country has ever seen. They have been every superlative in the book and this doesn’t feel like the ending of their fairytale, but only the end of one amazing chapter.
