News Thread

Manchester City are on course to replicate their treble-winning success of last season in a historic achievement but a changing of the guard in midfield increasingly feels on the horizon. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva have been incredible players for City and pivotal to their unparalleled success under Pep Guardiola - yet speculation lingers over their futures. 

Manchester City won a historic treble last season, clinching the Premier League title, the FA Cup and the club’s first ever Champions League. Incredibly 11 months on, in mid April, they have the possibility of repeating that feat. Pep Guardiola’s team sit one point behind league leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table, play Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, and are level with Real Madrid going into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad. 

With the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League concluded the European starters for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States have been determined. With Barcelona knocked out, Atlético Madrid have qualified via the UEFA four-year co-efficient standings. Atlético are the second team behind Real Madrid to qualify for the tournament, and, with the exception of the hosts, only two clubs per country can qualify for the Club World Cup. With the four UCL semi-finalists already qualified for next summer’s World Cup, the path has been cleared for Red Bull Salzburg to qualify via the co-efficient standings. 

This week football fans witnessed another set of dramatic and eye-catching European quarter-finals, as the best clubs on the continent made their bids to make it to the last four of the Champions League, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League. In the Champions League quarter-finals, there was 32 goals across the eight games in both legs - an average of four goals per game. However for the English teams, and the divisions chances of gaining a fifth Champions League place next season, it was a disastrous week.

The money changing hands for the world's top talents continues to get crazier with each passing season. Following the astronomical €222 million world record transfer fee PSG paid Barcelona for Brazilian star Neymar in 2017, the €100m mark has been broken a further 13 times. The Premier League certainly hasn't held back when it comes to spending money in recent years, blowing most other leagues out of the water in terms of money spent on transfers. It also dominates the most valuable leagues in world football, with a total market value of €11.09 billion, leaving the division way out in front of second placed La Liga with a market value of €5b.

Manchester City may currently be one point behind Arsenal in the Premier League table as we approach the conclusion of the season, but with a game in hand and a mind-blowing record at the business end, Pep Guardiola’s team are firm favourites to make history. The club would be making history because the Sky Blues would become the first ever team to win four English top-flight titles in a row. A record that hasn’t been broken in over 130 years.