Treble-chasing Manchester City could be close to full strength as they take on arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The champions have had fitness concerns in the build-up to the Wembley showpiece.

Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed last weekend’s final Premier League game of the season at Brentford for a variety of reasons.

Training for the quartet was also curtailed as City opted not to take risks ahead of what is a momentous period in the club’s history with the Champions League final to follow next week.

Manager Pep Guardiola says the whole squad is now looking fit and healthy.

He said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”

One member of City’s first-choice XI who will not start, however, is goalkeeper Ederson.

Back-up Stefan Ortega has featured in all domestic cup fixtures this season and, after also playing in two of the last three Premier League games, will be given the nod at Wembley.

“Stefan is going to play,” said Guardiola of the German, who has not conceded a goal in the FA Cup this term.

“I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”

Guardiola is preparing for a tough contest against a United side who will not be short of incentives at Wembley.

As well the usual cup final and derby motivations, United are also bidding to prevent City emulating their so far unique achievement of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.

City thrashed United 6-3 early in their manager Erik ten Hag’s reign back in October but Guardiola feels they are a considerably better side now.

He said: “A final is special for itself but what United have been doing in the last four, five, six months – they are a completely different team from the beginning of the season when we faced them here.

“I have the feeling that the team has improved from the beginning of the season – the patterns are more clear and the quality they have.”

Guardiola insists he is taking the fixture in isolation and not yet thinking about it in the context of a potentially glorious treble.

He said: “It would be good for us if we think about what we have to do to win one game.

“We have to analyse the strength of our opponent and see the weaknesses they have. The focus is, it’s a football game, that’s the most important thing.

“What’s (said) outside is normal, we cannot control it, but the last two games of the season we have to do what we have to do on the pitch to win the game.”

Pep Guardiola has eased concerns over the fitness of a number of key Manchester City players ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday.

Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed the champions’ final Premier League game of the season at Brentford last week.

Those players have all since returned to training and are expected to come back into contention for both the Wembley showpiece and next weekend’s Champions League final in Istanbul.

City manager Guardiola said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”

Guardiola has also confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will start at Wembley, in keeping with his usual policy for domestic cup fixtures.

The German, who started two of the last three Premier League games, has not yet conceded in the FA Cup this season.

Guardiola said: “Stefan is going to play. I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”

Manchester United have been hit by a setback for Antony ahead of the FA Cup final, with Erik ten Hag saying it is “unlikely” the winger will be fit to face Manchester City.

The 23-year-old winger went down in agony last Thursday during the first half of the penultimate Premier League game of the season against Chelsea.

Antony left on a stretcher and Ten Hag feared a “serious” injury, only to allay concerns three days later by saying the “first assessment is not too bad” and that he had a “good opportunity” to face City.

But this week has not gone as well as expected and the Brazil international now looks set to miss the first ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.

“Unlikely (he will be fit),” he said. “Dos Santos (Antony) still has a chance but it’s a really small chance.

“He didn’t make the progress, so he still has a chance but unlikely he is available.”

Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek have long since been ruled out of the final, while Anthony Martial’s injury-hit season will end on the sidelines.

The 27-year-old strained a hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s win against Fulham and will miss the Wembley showdown after scans showed a muscle tear.

“These questions so many times about the absence of players in the last couple of months,” Ten Hag said.

“Every time I say the same answer: it’s about the players who are available and many times we were successful.

“We have a good squad and from that good squad we make a good team.”

Absentee-hit United wrapped up third spot last weekend and are looking to complete the domestic cup double for the first time, having lifted the Carabao Cup in February.

 

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Ten Hag says Saturday will be a “good test” against Premier League champions City, who are looking to take another step towards the treble by winning at Wembley.

United fans are desperate for their side to extinguish those dreams as Pep Guardiola’s men look to replicate Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 treble heroes.

“We want to win, we want to win a cup,” Ten Hag said. “It’s not about stopping them. It is about that we win, that we win the cup. We have a great opportunity.

“That’s great that we deserved that opportunity to be in the cup final and then meet Man City. That’s a great opportunity.

“We fought so hard for it. I think we progressed that well that we are in that FA Cup final.”

City won this season’s first meeting 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium, with United coming back to win 2-1 at Old Trafford in January.

Ten Hag’s Red Devils finished 14 points behind the Premier League winners and a big summer lies ahead as they look to launch a sustained title challenge.

 

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“I think they do a very good job,” the Dutchman said days after Ferguson named Guardiola as LMA Manager of the Year – a trophy that carries the United great’s name.

“They play very good football, so they deserve it.

“Of course I look at others because they are opponents and I evaluate it, but we look to ourselves.

“You have to see where you are as club. From thereon, you have to make progress and I think we did over the last season.

“We make very good progress, we are in a good direction and now we use the coming period as well.

“Now we get the opportunity in the summer to make new targets, new goals on the short term.

“But the longer term, yeah, that will stay the same. As I said last year, we want to restore Man United but we have a way to go.”

UEFA has confirmed referee Szymon Marciniak will remain in charge of next week’s Champions League final after investigating his alleged links with a far-right movement.

Marciniak was under review after speaking at a recent event organised by Polish far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen and his role as match official for Manchester City’s clash with Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 was in doubt.

But UEFA is satisfied that Marciniak had been “gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question” and will keep the 42-year-old Pole as referee.

UEFA said: “Following Mr. Marciniak’s statement, UEFA acknowledges his profound apologies and clarification.

“UEFA also reached out to “NEVERAGAIN,” an NGO affiliated with the FARE network, which raised the initial concerns about Mr. Marciniak’s involvement in the event.

“They requested that Mr. Marciniak remain in his role as the referee for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, firmly asserting that removing him would undermine the promotion of anti-discrimination.

“Based on the information provided, UEFA confirms that Mr. Marciniak will fulfil his role as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.”

The organiser of the event at which Marciniak was a guest speaker, co-chairman of the Confederation party Mentzen, launched the political slogan ‘We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union’.

Anti-racism group Never Again had urged UEFA to drop Marciniak after the event at the International Congress Centre in Katowice.

Marciniak said in a statement: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused.

“Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question.

 

Marciniak, second right, refereed December’s World Cup final in Qatar (Nick Potts/PA)

 

“I had no knowledge that it was associated (with) a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation.

“It is important to understand that the values promoted by this movement are entirely contrary to my personal beliefs and the principles I strive to uphold in my life. I am deeply remorseful for any perception that my participation may have contradicted them.”

Marciniak, 42, became the first Polish referee to take charge of a World Cup final in Qatar last December when Argentina beat France on penalties.

He refereed the second leg of City’s semi-final win against Real Madrid and has taken charge of seven other Champions League fixtures.

Manchester City take on arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some key battles ahead of the Wembley encounter.

Pep Guardiola v Erik ten Hag

City manager Guardiola has again underlined his status as the best coach of his generation by guiding his side to a fifth Premier League title in six years and bringing them within two wins of a glorious treble. Ten Hag, who worked alongside the Catalan at Bayern Munich for a spell, cannot match Guardiola’s success but his record at Ajax was impressive and his first season with United has been encouraging, with one trophy and Champions League qualification secured. They have both beaten each other once this season.

Ruben Dias v Marcus Rashford

Portugal defender Dias has been back to his best for City during the run-in. After a spell out around the turn of the year, he has recovered form and fitness to provide a rock-solid barrier at the heart of the defence. He will come up against United’s player of the year Rashford, who has bagged 30 goals in all competitions. The forward’s scoring rate may have slowed after a prolific spell in the winter, but after overcoming a recent illness, he will be United’s main threat.

Rodri v Bruno Fernandes

Rodri has enjoyed his best season for City and is now widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. The Spaniard not only provides a defensive shield, but is a driving force who regularly initiates and supports attacks. Fernandes is an important cog in the United midfield. He finds space well, makes dangerous runs and passes incisively. He is both a creator and goalscorer, and has shown of late he can be as effective on the right as centrally.

Kevin De Bruyne v Casemiro

It is remarkable that De Bruyne was criticised by Guardiola just a few months ago. The Belgian playmaker had been performing well enough but the City boss clearly felt he had another level. So it has proved, with the 31-year-old outstanding in City’s charge to the title and two finals. His partnership with Haaland has been especially potent and Casemiro will aim to keep a close watch. The experienced Brazilian has made a big impact at Old Trafford this season, providing a steeliness and maturity they previously lacked.

Erling Haaland v Raphael Varane

Haaland’s first season at City has been absolutely sensational with 52 goals scored in all competitions and nine assists for good measure. His size, pace and strength make him difficult to contain and, after scoring so many goals this term, he will now want to add some signature trophy-winning ones. Varane will provide a good challenge. The Frenchman reads the game well, is strong on the ball and is quick himself.

Erling Haaland says a historic treble with Manchester City would be his “biggest dream” and hopes to fulfil his purpose and help deliver the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won their fifth Premier League title in six seasons and play Manchester United in Saturday’s FA Cup final before facing Inter Milan in the Champions League final on 10 June.

United are the only English club to have completed the treble, under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999, and while Guardiola’s City have dominated the domestic scene, they have yet to be crowned champions of Europe.

Haaland told BBC Sport: “It would be unreal to make this history. This is why they bought me of course, to get this, we don’t have to hide that.

“It would mean everything. I will do everything I possibly can to try to make it happen. It’s my biggest dream and hopefully dreams do come true.”

But the 22-year-old Norway striker warned both United and Inter will be “motivated” to “destroy” City’s treble chances.

“But as well it’s not easy,” Haaland said. “It’s two finals against two good teams that will do everything they can to try to destroy that.”

Haaland has taken the Premier League by storm in his first season, scoring a record 36 top-flight goals and 52 in all competitions.

He is the first player to be voted Premier League player and young player of the year in the same season and was also named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) men’s footballer of the year.

The former Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund striker said success in England had been life-changing.

“I’m 196cm tall and have got long blond hair so wherever I go people are going to see me,” he said. “So that’s how my life is. What can I do?

“There’s nothing I can do, that’s my life. I just have to try to enjoy it as much as I can. Try to relax when I’m home with good people around me, that’s really important. Just try to enjoy my life.”

Haaland said he was still not the finished article, adding: “I’ve been developing in a really positive way and that’s really important for me because I’m still really young.

“I’m 22, I’ve got a long career ahead of me and I still have to develop. That’s also something I was thinking of over one year ago when I was thinking about my next move.”

Rivals Manchester City and Manchester United clash in the FA Cup final this weekend.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the Wembley encounter.

The treble

City head to Wembley hoping to complete the second leg of a glorious treble. The Premier League title is in the bag and the Champions League final against Inter Milan is still to come. Adding spice to the occasion is the fact that United are the only other English club to have achieved this feat, back in 1999. Their fans would certainly love nothing more than to stop their neighbours emulating them.

Champions League final influence

It will be interesting to see how much of a bearing the Champions League final has on City manager Pep Guardiola’s selection. The European competition is the one great prize that has eluded him during his time at City and is undoubtedly his priority. He could opt to hold players back with that in mind. However, this is not his normal way and, with a week between the fixtures, there is time for rest and recovery. Guardiola will also need to keep his star players sharp and there can be few better games in which to do so than a Wembley final.

Ten Hag recovery

Erik ten Hag has lifted spirits at Old Trafford after a dreadful 2021-22 campaign in which they got through three managers. There have still been some bad defeats along the way – most notably 4-0 at Brentford, 6-3 at City and 7-0 at Liverpool – but the Dutchman has generally earned credit for the way he turned the team around. He won the Carabao Cup and got them back into the Champions League. There was even talk of a title challenge at one stage as they hit form mid-season. United are still some way off where they aspire to be, but winning the FA Cup would cap a promising campaign.

Haaland chasing more headlines

Erling Haaland has written his name all over this season. The prolific Norwegian has had a sensational impact at City, scoring 52 goals in all competitions. Dixie Dean’s near century-old all-time single-season record of 63 may be beyond him now but he will be hungry for more and to add a significant, competition-winning strike to his tally. He is not the only dangerman in the City side but he will be the one feared most by United.

United options

United’s pursuit of Champions League football fuelled a strong finish to their Premier League campaign. With players also staking claims for cup final places, they secured third place with a run of four-successive wins. This has given Ten Hag the pleasant problem of deciding which players to leave out. The make-up of the attack could be particularly interesting with Marcus Rashford now fit after illness, Antony close to returning from injury and Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho having done their cases no harm in recent weeks.

Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag will lead the teams out at Wembley this weekend in the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.

Ahead of Saturday’s showdown in the capital, the PA news agency has taken a closer look at the City and United managers.

Past meetings

This season’s Premier League encounters are the only times these managers have faced off, with City winning the first encounter 6-3 in October before United came back to win 2-1 at Old Trafford in January.

But while they do not have a huge history of playing against one another, these managers know each other well.

Ten Hag left Go Ahead Eagles in his homeland in 2013 to become head coach of Bayern Munich II – the reserve team of the perennial Bundesliga champions, who were then managed by Guardiola.

The United boss said the Spaniard inspired him, with the pair talking regularly with the Dutchman watching him very carefully. Ten Hag has previously described his training sessions as “a joy to watch”.

Guardiola clearly thinks highly of his cross-city rival, who he said would have made an excellent successor for him at the Etihad Stadium before his United appointment was confirmed.

Trophies

Guardiola, arguably the greatest coach of this generation, boasts an eye-watering medal haul.

The 52-year-old has won 11 top-flight titles – three LaLiga crowns, three Bundesliga titles and now five Premier League triumphs. Guardiola oversaw a pair of Champions League victories at Barcelona, which he hopes to add to against Inter Milan in June’s Istanbul finale.

The Catalan has also won domestic trophies aplenty wherever he has been, with Saturday offering the chance to win his second FA Cup.

The freshly-crowned LMA Manager of the Year takes on a man that led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles during his time in Amsterdam, as well as a pair of KNVB Cups and the Johan Cruyff Shield.

Ten Hag’s first silverware as a manager was the Regionalliga Bayern title in 2014, while this season’s Carabao Cup victory was his latest triumph and first at United.

This season

City are looking to write their name in history by matching United’s 1999 treble heroes. Guardiola’s side saw off Arsenal’s impressive title charge during an unrelenting end to the season that led them to be crowned with three games to spare – their fifth in six years and third in succession.

Inter stand in their way as City make their second Champions League final appearance on June 10, where they would have the chance to wrap up the treble, unless Ten Hag’s Red Devils can put a spoke in the wheel at Wembley.

United have improved vastly on last season’s wretched campaign to finish third in the Premier League, securing a Champions League return on the back of ending their six-year wait for silverware.

Ten Hag became just the second manager in the club’s medal-laden history to win a major trophy in his first season at the helm with February’s Carabao Cup triumph against Newcastle.

Now comes the chance to add another trophy to the cabinet with a statement victory that would end their neighbours’ treble dreams.

Manchester City face arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how Pep Guardiola’s side made it to Wembley.

Man City 4 Chelsea 0 (third round, Jan 8)

City sailed through with surprising ease as Chelsea put up little resistance at the Etihad Stadium just three days after a hard-fought Premier League clash between the sides at Stamford Bridge.

A superb Riyad Mahrez free-kick, a Julian Alvarez penalty and a Phil Foden effort effectively wrapped up the contest in the first half.

Mahrez completed the scoring from the spot late on.

Man City 1 Arsenal 0 (fourth round, Jan 27)

City edged a tight and entertaining game that lived up to its pre-match billing as a heavyweight contest.

A tidy finish from defender Nathan Ake, placing a shot into the bottom corner after good work from Jack Grealish, settled the tie in the 64th minute.

Bristol City 0 Man City 3 (fifth round, Feb 28)

Foden struck twice as City saw off their Championship hosts with little alarm.

The England midfielder opened the scoring after seven minutes when he turned home a low Mahrez ball at the back post and made victory certain with a deflected effort after the break.

Kevin De Bruyne added a brilliant third with a low curling shot from outside the area.

Man City 6 Burnley 0 (quarter-finals, Mar 18)

City gave their former captain Vincent Kompany a hero’s reception on his return to the Etihad – but showed his Championship-leading side little mercy on the field.

The prolific Erling Haaland, who had smashed five past RB Leipzig just days earlier, helped himself to a hat-trick as the Clarets were put to the sword.

Alvarez weighed in with a double and Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet in the rout.

Man City 3 Sheff Utd 0 (semi-finals, Apr 22)

Another promotion-challenging Championship side failed to lay a glove on City as Guardiola’s men booked a return to the final for the first time in four years after three successive semi-final defeats.

Mahrez took centre-stage by scoring the first FA Cup semi-final hat-trick since 1958 and the first at Wembley.

The Blades were made to rue missing a gilt-edged early chance through Iliman Ndiaye as Mahrez grabbed his first from the spot, ran through the defence for a fine solo second and swept in to complete his treble.

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been ruled out of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City due to a hamstring injury.

Martial picked up the problem in United’s final Premier League game of the season after stepping off the bench on Sunday against Fulham and scans have revealed the full extent of the damage.

United said in a statement: “Anthony Martial is out of Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup final against Manchester City due to injury.

“The France international strained his hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s 2-1 win against Fulham at Old Trafford.

“Assessments have since revealed a muscle tear that rules the 27-year-old out of the Wembley showdown.”

Martial missed United’s first two Premier League games this season due to a hamstring problem, while other small injuries since have restricted him to 29 appearances in all competitions in which he has scored nine goals.

Only 11 of his 21 league appearances this season have been in the starting line-up, but he had been hoping to be in contention to start at Wembley against City, who are looking to complete a domestic treble.

The former Lyon winger, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla, joined United from Monaco for £36million in 2015 and has made almost 200 league appearances for the club in total.

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw has signed a two-year contract extension with the Women’s Super League outfit running to the summer of 2026.

The 26-year-old Jamaica international, nicknamed ‘Bunny’, scored 31 goals in 30 City appearances in all competitions in the 2022-23 season and has netted 50 times for them in total since joining in 2021 from Bordeaux.

Shaw said in a statement from the club: “I’m delighted to continue my journey with this amazing group.

“Everyone made me feel welcome from the first day I came here. I enjoy the way we play and I’m at a stage now where I understand the way we play and I can only get better and grow.

“I think here at City is the perfect place for me. I put all my effort and time on the pitch and obviously for the position I play and the quality I have around me, I know I’m going to be in positions to score goals.

“I’ve always said Manchester feels like home away from home too. I enjoy coming into the City ground every day and training with the group, vibing with the girls and I also have family here, so Manchester has felt like home ever since I arrived.

“I just want to thank our fans for everything, all the love and support they’ve given me since I arrived. I’ll just try my best to continue repaying them on the football pitch.”

City boss Gareth Taylor said: “Bunny’s growth and development as a player over the past two years, but particularly this season, has been fantastic and we’re thrilled to see her extend her contract with us.

“She has thrived having had the opportunity of extended runs in the team throughout the current campaign and has shown on a regular basis what a talent she is and why we brought her to the club.

“She scored goals regularly in France and America prior to joining us and has now shown what she’s capable of in England too – which says a lot about her ability.

“She is still a young player though who wants to improve and is hungry for success and we’re only scratching the surface with her which is a very exciting prospect as we aim to develop her even further over the next three years.”

England boss Gareth Southgate will be an interested spectator as the summer transfer window opens on June 14, with several members of his squad potentially on the move.

Skipper Harry Kane’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months amid Tottenham’s difficulties, and he is not alone.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of those whose club futures may lie elsewhere.

Harry Maguire

Manchester United defender Maguire has been one of Southgate’s most dependable performers in recent campaigns, but has slipped painfully down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag and has been warned his international place could be under threat. The 30-year-old, who cost United £80million when he joined them from Leicester in August 2019, has been linked with West Ham, but also with a loan move to Italy with Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Roma said to be eyeing his situation.

Harry Kane

Kane and Tottenham both have big decisions to make this summer after the club missed out on European football. The 29-year-old will enter the final year of his current contract and if he does not sign an extension, could leave for free in 12 months’ time. Manchester United are long-term admirers of the free-scoring striker – although it has been suggested Spurs would be unwilling to sell to a Premier League rival – while both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have been credited with an interest.

Mason Mount

Midfielder Mount was caught up in the malaise which engulfed Chelsea during a chaotic season and six of his last seven appearances before injury ended his campaign prematurely came from the bench. The 24-year-old is out of contract next summer and new boss Mauricio Pochettino has a decision to make with Manchester United leading a posse of interested parties waiting in the wings.

Declan Rice

Rice’s reputation has continued to blossom despite what at times has been a difficult season for West Ham, and manager David Moyes is bracing himself. Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been linked with a summer move for the 24-year-old midfielder, with Manchester United and Chelsea also touted as possible destinations, while resurgent Newcastle could offer him Champions League football, but know they may not be able to compete financially as they attempt to comply with spending rules.

James Maddison

Maddison, another player with 12 months remaining on his contract, seemed destined to leave Leicester during the close season regardless of whether or not the Foxes retained their Premier League status. Newcastle pursued the 26-year-old playmaker doggedly last summed and remain keen on him as they strengthen for a European campaign, but they are likely to face competition with Manchester United and Tottenham rumoured to be among his suitors.

Jude Bellingham

Liverpool’s interest in Borussia Dortmund teenager Bellingham is long-standing, but reports from Spain have suggested his future could lie instead with Real Madrid. Manchester City and neighbours United have also been touted as potential buyers with the 19-year-old former Birmingham midfielder one of the hottest properties in European football.

Willian understands the frustration Arsenal will have after their failure to push on for the Premier League title, but believes the Gunners can challenge again next season.

Arsenal came close to ending a 19-year wait for a top-flight title before a late-season collapse saw incumbent holders Manchester City seize another crown.

The manner of Arsenal's faltering finale represented a dramatic downturn after they had led the Premier League table for 248 days of the season.

Willian, who spent a single campaign at Emirates Stadium during the 2020-21 season, has backed his former club to be challengers again soon enough.

"When I was there, I could see that Arsenal had a bright future ahead of them very close because of the way [Mikel] Arteta was working," the Fulham attacker told Stats Perform.

"The way I saw him working the team, I had no doubt that Arsenal would be back fighting for the top in the next few years.

"Unfortunately, they were fighting with a team that [is on] another level. It's an outstanding team. It's not easy to fight for the title with Manchester City.

"They must have a sense of frustration. They were fighting for the title the whole [season], and they let the title slip away practically.

"But they are back in the Champions League. Of course, there must be a bit of frustration, but they have to be happy with what they did. 

"Without a doubt, Arsenal [had] an excellent year, and they have everything to fight for the title again next season."

City's latest title is their fifth Premier League crown in six seasons under Guardiola and looks poised to form part of a generation-defining treble with the FA Cup and Champions League finals to come.

The latter in particular remains the chief honour left for the club to win, and Willian believes that it is Guardiola's intelligent grasp of his squad that makes them such a threat.

"I think Guardiola, with his ideas, [is key]," he added. "He converges that with the execution of the players, which are, as they say here, "top class" players.

"I heard Guardiola once say that he gives the ideas, he tells them what to do, but they also have to have quality on the pitch. Otherwise, it's no use.

"He is a great manager, I think the best in the world in years, and together with the quality of the players on the field, City is very strong and hard to be beat."

Pep Guardiola admits he does not know if Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish will be fit for next weekend’s FA Cup final.

Manchester City’s attacking duo, and defender Ruben Dias, missed the
1-0 final-day defeat at Brentford through injury.

The champions, who face Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday as they bid to complete the second leg of an historic Treble, were consigned to defeat by Ethan Pinnock’s late goal.

With De Bruyne and Grealish missing completely and left on the bench, it was a scratch City side and those established stars who did play, like Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, had little impact.

But Guardiola said: “Congratulations to Brentford for the victory. It’s difficult to faze them, how quick they play, how aggressive they are in all departments.

“I’m pretty sure we would have behaved a little bit different if we needed the points.

“I don’t have any complaints of how we behaved, I said to the players just now ‘you won the title, enjoy two days with your families and then we will prepare for the first final’.

“The guys who didn’t play who normally play were exhausted yesterday, mentally completely drained. They needed to rest to arrive with the right energy to face United.”

When asked if the players who missed out would be fit for Wembley, Guardiola said: “I don’t know right now. Hopefully.

“Ruben, Jack and Kevin couldn’t play. It is what it is. I think they will be ready but it’s hard to get ready in training. That’s why I had to see the players who played today.”

Pinnock’s 85th-minute strike made Brentford the only team to do the double over City this season, and only the fifth since Guardiola took over in 2016.

The Spaniard added: “They are the best team by far at set-pieces, they are exceptional. What Thomas Frank has done for years is amazing and the unity of his squad is there for all to see.

“Hopefully we can do better and beat them like we did last season, so we have a target for next season already.”

The Bees still needed a double save from goalkeeper David Raya to deny Cole Palmer at the death to end another impressive season on a high.

They had a slim chance to qualify for the Europa Conference League, and although victories for Tottenham and Aston Villa ultimately scuppered that dream, they finished a creditable ninth.

“Of course beating them twice means something, it means even more for the fans, they like that narrative and hopefully City win the Treble,” said Frank.

“Ending ninth in the Premier League, getting 59 points – and maybe deserve to have even more – it’s incredible the journey we have been on.

“What advice would I give United and Inter Milan? Well, I think we top performed in those two games.

“They are the best offensive team in then world so you need to defend very well and we did, and we were very brave throughout the game. I loved that from my players.”

Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the Premier League this season, yet there was never really a time when it felt like Manchester City were not the favourites to lift the trophy.

Pep Guardiola’s side claimed the crown for a third year in a row and the fifth in the last six years, once again putting together one of those relentless winning runs that gives an air of inevitability to their eventual success.

City have been in plenty of tight title races over the years. Twice they have pipped Liverpool by a single point, one of those occasions coming last year when Ilkay Gundogan’s late goals to come from behind against Aston Villa brought back memories of Sergio Aguero, QPR, and all that in 2012.

There was nothing like that feeling of drama this time. City have finished the season with an five-point cushion over Arsenal, having won the title without kicking a ball with three games to spare when the Gunners lost 1-0 to relegation-battling Nottingham Forest.

Even when City were eight points behind at the end of March, most observers outside of north London foresaw Pep Guardiola’s men grinding down their rivals mentally and physically, and so it proved.

An unbeaten run that stretched to 25 games in all competitions before the final day defeat to Brentford had City fans believing the league title is just the first part of a treble which can be completed over the next two weeks.

It seems bizarre to think now that right up until the World Cup questions were being asked as to whether Erling Haaland, who finished the Premier League season with 36 goals from 35 league appearances, actually made Guardiola’s side worse as they sacrificed a midfielder to accommodate him.

Instead, the Norwegian has added a ruthlessness to City, a killer instinct to a side that can still pass you to death if they so wish, but who can now also shift the ball from their own box to the back of the opposition’s net in the space of a few seconds.

 

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And so City have become the first side to make it back-to-back-to-back titles since Manchester United between between 2006/07 and 2008/09. Can anybody stop them making it four in a row?

 

Arsenal were not expected to be City’s primary challengers this season, but Mikel Arteta is well ahead of schedule in his project to make them contenders again. A lack of squad depth told in the end, but Arsenal built their challenge on a number of young talented players, and will surely come again.

Behind that, Manchester United have shown improvement under Erik ten Hag and Newcastle have forced their way into the top four for the first time in 20 years.

If Jurgen Klopp can get Liverpool’s midfield rebuild right this summer and Mauricio Pochettino can make sense of Chelsea’s undoubtedly talented but hugely unwieldy squad, next season promises an intense scrap for top four places.

Yet it is hard to pick one of those sides and say with any real certainty they are on City’s level or all that close to it. The only cloud on City’s horizon is that of the 115 Premier League charges against them.

Arsenal put together a superb first half of the season, on pace to match City’s Premier League record of 100 points at the midway point, but that only highlights the extent of their dip towards the end.

Third-placed United have a trophy in the cabinet and the opportunity still to scupper City’s treble hopes in the FA Cup final, but Ten Hag’s men are  14 points adrift in the table, a gap that still feels like a chasm.

Something radical needs to change this summer. Otherwise that old feeling of inevitability will quickly return.

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