Manchester City should still be "very cagey" over their prospects of winning the quadruple, even as the dream moves ever closer.
That is the view of City's former influential captain Richard Dunne, as Pep Guardiola's men sit 14 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
They are away to Leicester City in the top-flight on Saturday, while an EFL Cup final against Tottenham, an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea and a Champions League quarter-final with Borussia Dortmund are all fast approaching this month.
Dunne has relished City's return to peak form in 2020-21 but still thinks it is more likely than not that they come unstuck in one of the three cup competitions, particularly after seeing them lose the derby to Manchester United.
Asked by Stats Perform News about City's hopes of winning the quadruple, Dunne said: "It is very hard.
"When you watch Man City like we have over the last couple of months, you look and go like, 'Nobody is going to stop them'. They just seem like they are wiping everybody away.
"And then the Manchester derby came along, and you could see how United set up and showed a platform of how to beat Man City.
"They showed how to do it, they attacked them, they pressed them high up the field.
"Other teams will try to do it, and some obviously won't be capable of it, but if you talk about Tottenham who are capable of it, then Chelsea are too and certainly Dortmund are as well.
"So if Manchester City aren't 100 per cent in any of those games, then all of the hopes and dreams of a quadruple go out of the window overnight."
It will become increasingly difficult for the players to ignore the prospect of a historic quadruple with every match that passes, according to Dunne.
He added: "I know the manager doesn't want to talk about it. But it is on everybody's mind. It really goes back to taking every game, and every minute of the game, as it comes.
"If they start thinking too far ahead and switch off, the teams in the Champions League are too good to switch off against.
"Certainly Chelsea have proven since Thomas Tuchel has come in that they are a really good side.
"It's great for City as everybody and all the fans want to dream and hope, but you have to be very cagey because there are some tricky games to come."
Dunne hailed the impact of Ruben Dias, a £51million signing from Benfica who has helped to transform City after some major defensive issues last season.
"I think it's been brilliant," Dunne said of City's improvement at the back.
"It's Leicester this weekend, and it's probably going back to Leicester at the Etihad, when they lost 5-2 in September, that they've started to adjust things.
"Ruben Dias has come on in that game. They've started to form a partnership [between him and John Stones], developed a structure in the team that worked.
"Because they became solid and a strong defensive unit, there's no longer that need to score five or six goals and win games. Now they can win games 1-0, and grind games out which we've seen this season.
"It's given them another sort of level to what they've already got.
"We've known for many years about the talent that's in the squad going forward, the ability, but there was always that little fear that there would be a mistake in defensive areas.
"That seems to be completely eradicated this season. The defence is giving them a stronger opportunity to succeed in Europe this year than they had before.
"Pep Guardiola will be very impressed, he'll be delighted with how things are going.
"He's built a side a couple of years ago who scored hundreds of goals, they got 100 and odd points. This side is obviously different, but probably more suited for bigger success than the previous sides."
Rico Lewis is one of best players I have ever coached – Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola hailed Rico Lewis as one of the best players he has ever coached after his starring role in Manchester City’s hard-fought win at RB Leipzig.
The 18-year-old produced a commanding display as the holders maintained the winning start to their Champions League defence with a 3-1 success at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday.
Lewis, who made his first-team breakthrough as a right-back last season, had a hand in Phil Foden’s opening goal and proved City’s main driving force throughout.
City manager Guardiola, the former Barcelona boss whose past players have included Lionel Messi, said: “What a player! What a player!
“I’ve been a manager for 14, 15, years and lucky to train one of the best players in the world in Barcelona.
“To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move as a holding midfielder, moving in the spaces, he is one of the best I’ve ever trained by far.
“He’s a humble guy, doesn’t talk much. He didn’t play much this season but he is going to play a lot.”
Despite Lewis’ contributions, it took the introduction of substitutes Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku to secure a hard-fought victory.
City controlled the first half and led at the break through Foden’s 25th-minute strike but they were pegged back after the restart by Lois Openda.
The second half was a frustrating affair with Erling Haaland missing several chances and Foden hitting the bar but Alvarez made the breakthrough with a stunning effort on 84 minutes.
Doku wrapped up a second successive win in Group G in injury time.
After back-to-back defeats domestically, Guardiola was pleased to get back to winning ways.
He said: “Three or four days ago it was no progress because we lost in Wolves. It was important to break that.
“We played a fantastic game in all departments. We conceded two or three transitions in the second half but it’s normal. When a team is able to make a lot of passes early on, very nice things are going to happen in the game.
“The guys who came from the bench, the contribution they have done is the key point. Everyone helped each other. I am really satisfied. It was a tough game.”
Leipzig coach Marco Rose was pleased with the effort of his side but had no complaints about the result.
Rose said: “Manchester City deserved to win, even if it was 1-1 in the 83rd minute and we had hoped to hold on until the end.
“We did well after the break and got our equaliser. It was then an open game then but City put us under pressure at the death again. We are learning from the best.”
Enzo Maresca proud of Leicester’s record-equalling start
Enzo Maresca praised his Leicester players after a 3-0 home win over Preston saw the Foxes equal the best start to a Championship season.
Two goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall either side of a Kelechi Iheanacho strike were enough to see the Foxes back to the Championship summit.
The victory lifted them above Ipswich, who had moved a point clear on Tuesday by beating Hull, and matched Sheffield United’s 27-point haul from the first 10 games of the 2005-06 campaign.
Maresca said: “To be honest I am happy. I just said to the players that what you have done today is something that is not normal.
“And not only because your club is Leicester have you achieved something like this – there are other clubs in the Championship who are important like us but they struggle.
“So it is something important, but it is early days. We have won nine out of 10, we are very happy with that, but now in less than 72 hours we have one more game and we need to be focused on that.”
Midfielder Dewsbury-Hall broke the deadlock on the hour with substitute Iheanacho doubling the lead 16 minutes later.
Dewsbury-Hall made it 3-0 in the 90th minute on the rebound after Iheanacho had seen a shot parried.
Maresca added: “I am especially happy for Kiernan because he is improving in decision-making – in the choice. If you remember – in the first game he was shooting from his house, from everywhere. Now on the edge of the box he is patient.”
Preston had a great chance to open the scoring late in the first half when Duane Holmes fired wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
North End also had a late goal from substitute Ben Woodburn ruled out for a foul on Wout Faes in the build-up.
Preston’s defeat followed a 4-0 home loss to West Brom on Saturday, but manager Ryan Lowe made it clear he was pleased with his players.
He said: “It was definitely harsh. I thought we were fantastic for 50-odd minutes until they scored the first goal, which was disappointing on our behalf – we go to ground when we could probably have intercepted it.
“But Leicester have some quality, they are different class, and we nullified that early on – we caught them out a little bit.
“We didn’t have much possession but I can’t fault the effort. Late on we were out on our feet a little bit, which was expected.
“We had the best chance first-half – Duane’s had a fantastic opportunity and it’s gone just beyond the post – but they are a Premier League team in the Championship.
“They have got a player in Dewsbury-Hall who shouldn’t be playing at this level.
“But we didn’t fear them. We respected them. They are normal human beings but they have got different qualities to most in the Championship.”
Julian Alvarez strike helps Manchester City overcome stubborn RB Leipzig
Manchester City struck twice late on to continue the winning start to their Champions League defence with a hard-fought 3-1 success at RB Leipzig.
Julian Alvarez finally settled City’s nerves in Wednesday’s Group G encounter with a fine strike six minutes from at the Red Bull Arena before fellow substitute Jeremy Doku wrapped up the win.
Phil Foden had opened the scoring midway through a first half the holders dominated but the hosts responded against the run of play through Lois Openda.
Foden hit the woodwork as City pushed for a winner but, with Erling Haaland faltering in front of goal, it looked like being a frustrating night until Alvarez struck.
That City would need such late heroics from the bench seemed unlikely as they controlled the first half.
The presence of Rodri, who is currently serving a domestic ban, brought a noticeable calm that was missing in his absence in Saturday’s defeat at Wolves.
Yet it was Rico Lewis, playing alongside him in midfield, who caught the eye with his determination to win possession and some driving runs.
Lewis had City’s first serious opportunity after a nice turn in the area but his shot was blocked. Foden drove the ball back across goal from the rebound but Bernardo Silva, returning to the side after injury, failed to turn it in at the far post.
City’s opener came after 25 minutes from another attack instigated by Lewis. The lively youngster pushed forward and played a one-two with Silva before pulling back for Foden in the area.
The England international met it with a first-time shot that bounced beyond Janis Blaswich.
City pushed for a second before the break, with Haaland twice breaking free on the left but the Norwegian first shot wide and was then denied by Blaswich.
It was not until the final minute of the first half that Leipzig had an effort on goal when Openda’s long-range shot was deflected over and City reached the break looking completely untroubled.
All their good work was undone within moments of the restart as Jack Grealish misplaced a pass and they were caught by a Leipzig counter-attack.
Yussuf Poulsen released Openda with a pass from the centre circle and the Belgium international raced through to beat Ederson with a low shot that went in off the base of the post.
Haaland threatened to restore City’s lead when he fired wide and then spurned an even better chance when he missed the target from a Foden cross.
Foden went closer when he curled a free-kick against the bar from a wide angle but Haaland’s frustration continued as he shot at Blaswich and skewed another effort over.
City were caught on the break again but were reprieved when Emil Forsberg failed to find a colleague in the box and Ederson needed to punch clear after substitute Timo Werner broke free.
Pep Guardiola’s changes made the difference as Doku teed up Alvarez to clip a fine shot over Blaswich from the edge of the area.
Doku then put the seal on victory when he finished off a quick break in injury time as Leipzig paid the price for pushing players forward.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
