Manchester City’s transformation has been impressive since its 2009 takeover by their Middle East owners. But the real fundamental change arrived when Pep Guardiola took the club over in 2016. The former FC Barcelona player turned coach has already achieved the pinnacle of club soccer, winning 38 trophies. However, the coach has just one desire to fulfill- to beat Tottenham Hotspur in their own backyard.
Manchester City is the only team to beat all the teams in the Premier League twice in the last 133 years. However, their glory does not stand firm in the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. But will the treble winners be able to achieve the invincible in the upcoming FA club clash?
Pep Guardiola looks to break the 5-year-old jinx for Manchester City
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Yes, as surprising as it may seem, Pep Guardiola has never won a game at a stadium owned by Spurs. In an interview, the manager stated that his only desire was to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when Pep was asked about his next challenge. Apart from another treble this year, he said, “To score a goal against the Spurs away.” Astonishingly, the Talisman never led his team to even score a goal at the dormant venue for the Sky Blues.
If Man City win the treble what's your next target Pep? 🤔
🗣️ "Score a goal against Spurs away" 🥲 pic.twitter.com/LlW8F61qJF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 24, 2023
However, will the club be able to overcome the albatross? Well, the Cityzens are back to their prime after a stumble in between. The club dropped a few crucial points in the Premier League, but the FA Cup gives slight hope for the visitors. The last meeting between the two clubs in this tournament saw Manchester City come back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 at White Hart Lane.
Moreover, to City’s relief, their ace player, Kevin De Bruyne, is back! The star has already started to weave his magic, providing a match-winning goal and an assist against Newcastle. Nevertheless, the 2023 FA Cup winners will miss Erling Haaland’s nonchalance, who scored in their home fixture, along with the available striker Julian Alvarez. Additionally, the last 4-3 win in 2004 was also in the fourth round, which can be a sort of comforting, even though it may sound superstitious. But the question about them scoring and winning today still remains.
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Guardiola and Manchester City’s goalless history versus Spurs away
Even though City struggled to win at White Hart Lane, the new stadium from 2019 has also proved disastrous for Pep. Starting with the 2019 Champions League campaign, in which City lost 1-0 courtesy of a missed penalty by Sergio Aguero, the team since then could not gather any nettings, leaving Pep Guardiola desperate today.
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The team failed to score a goal even during the pandemic in empty stands, which negated the crowd’s disadvantage. And ultimately, even Erling Haaland and De Bruyne failed to make an impact on the Lilywhites last season. But could the treble winners change the tide just like they did in the Champions League? Let us know in the comments.
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