COMMENT: It's football. English football. And it's just how it works. The one club that can stop Manchester City becoming the second English team to win the Treble is the exact same they face at Wembley on Saturday...
Of course, you couldn't script this. They'd laugh you out of the pitch meeting. But as we say, it's football. It's how it works. And it's down to this generation of Manchester United players to defend the achievement of their '99 predecessors in Saturday's FA Cup final.
Can they do it? For this column, it's a big ask. On paper. On merit. City win this one going away at Wembley. United really shouldn't lay a glove on 'em. But football isn't played on paper. And United and their manager, Erik ten Hag, have shown they're capable of beating City this season.
But it'll be an upset. An unworthy upset. This City team deserve the Treble. No club has dominated as City have over this past decade. Not the United of the 90's. Nor the Liverpool of the 80's. City stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. And the Treble would be fitting for a team and club that are now the established yardstick - both at home and in Europe.
Of course, the Champions League final will follow Wembley, but no serious football person would dispute claims of City being the best in Europe this season. And no matter the resentment. The bitterness. No matter how their fallen rivals spin it, City have done this by performing as a proper, proper football club.
Yes, those FFP charges from the Premier League are still there. All 115 of them. Offering something for the critics to latch onto. As we say, for the resentful, the mean-spirited, these charges and those who champion them shouldn't be allowed to cheapen what this club has achieved.
In the spirit of the game at this level, City's achievements should be celebrated. This team doesn't boast the Galacticos of Real Madrid in the 2000's. There's no Zizou, Ronaldo or Figo. City's spending hasn't reached the crazy heights of Todd Boehly's Chelsea. And in terms of state run clubs, it's City which are into their second Champions League final in three years - not PSG. Simply put, their crime is that they do things better. Far, far better. Not just at first team level, but throughout the academy. The facilities. The training ground. Everything is pursued in search of excellence. That's why City stand apart.
As we say, today's City is a team. A real team. There's no Galacticos in the squad. They reflect the manager's personality. Indeed, beyond Pep Guardiola, they reflect the club's personality. Kevin de Bruyne. Bernardo Silva. You can pick a City player these days. Grounded. Generous. With talent to burn. It's a character that runs through the club. This is what we're witnessing. It's the progress and transformation of a club and it's playing staff.
To a man, each of Guardiola's first teamers have a story to tell. No-one picked Ruben Dias to carry off the Player of the Year in his first season. Just as so many were ready to dub John Stones a busted flush after that career slump of his. Kyle Walker arrived from Tottenham a good player - though is now is regarded as a great. Rodri another uncovered by City now described by Sergi Busquets as "the best pivot in the world". The list goes on and on... Jack Grealish has never played as he is now. The rookie Rico Lewis. The veteran Ilkay Gundogan. They're not exactly the Kylian Mbappes or Neymars of this world. But in a City shirt. With the guidance of this manager and his staff. They're exceptional.
Even Erling Haaland. For all his records. For his all awards. Cast your mind back to Wembley and the Community Shield. It was Darwin Nunez everyone was celebrating. Remember that? Signed for twice the money. On similar wages. But City, in this game of comparison, triumphed in the end.
The Haaland deal wasn't built on money, but on relationships. No matter the claims of Bayern Munich. He wanted to play for his father's old club. He wanted to play for Guardiola. Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano had nothing to do with the City of Alf-Inge's generation. But they made it so. They did their homework. They did their networking. And when the Haalands made it clear it was time to depart Borussia Dortmund, there was only ever going to be one destination.
Again, they just do things better at City. It's why Guardiola has stayed so long. Bayern will bristle. Real will fret. But in today's football, leaving City for anywhere else is a step down.
Which is why, on merit, City deserve to win the FA Cup on Saturday and go to Istanbul with the Treble alive. But this is football. English football. And if there's ever a team to end their hopes then it just had to be the one English club to hold this Treble record.
