Could Arsenal title encourage Guardiola to stay?
It has been a good few weeks to be a Manchester City fan. The 2-0 Carabao Cup final triumph over title rivals Arsenal was followed by securing another trip to Wembley by humiliating Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals. It finally feels like something may have clicked for Pep Guardiola and this evolving side.
[BBC] [Getty Images] It has been a good few weeks to be a Manchester City fan. The 2-0 Carabao Cup final triumph over title rivals Arsenal was followed by securing another trip to Wembley by humiliating Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals. It finally feels like something may have clicked for Pep Guardiola and this evolving side.
The Blues are back in Premier League action this weekend and it's a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea , who are chasing a place in the Champions League next season but also struggling for consistency. By the time City play on Sunday afternoon, they could be 12 points behind Arsenal, as the Gunners face Bournemouth at the Emirates on Saturday. At this point, given the nine-point gap Mikel Arteta's side have already established, there seems to be a reluctant acceptance that it may just be too big a lead to chase down with only eight games left for City to play.
If that's the case, there could be an advantage to that - it takes the pressure off. City can play with freedom and keep riding the wave of momentum they have built from winning recent silverware. It could play in their favour, just in case Arsenal do fluff their lines in the league.
There's more silverware on the line though. The Blues are just two games away from completing a domestic trophy double and, after last season's disappointment, achieving that would be much-welcomed from the City faithful. But there could also be a positive to be had if Pep Guardiola does miss out on the Premier League trophy this season to his former assistant – it could tempt him to stay and see out the final year of his contract.