In any given year in the Premier League, the moment a team starts the season in great form or with an unbeaten streak there is always a clamour in the press to crown them as the next ‘Invincibles’ or to put forward their chances of landing a ‘quadruple’ of FA Cup, League Cup, league and Champions League.
That was obviously the case with Manchester City this year. As soon as it became apparent that Pep Guardiola had a special team on his hands, the debate began about how far this side could go. The talk of going through the Premier League unbeaten came to a halt with the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool in January, but talk of the quadruple has not gone away.
The thing is though, we are moving away from a time of speculative fancy to one of reality in terms of a quadruple. City are clear favourites in all four competitions. On the balance of probability, they could actually do it. Below are the odds set by leading bookmekers and overview of City’s chances in all four competitions. If you see value in any of these, be sure to check out the latest offers and bet with William Hill, the leading UK bookmaker.
Premier League, odds 1/200
It will be the biggest upset in sporting history if City let this one slide now. A 16-point gap to Manchester United is too big a cushion for them to concede. People often talk about the demands on the squad when pursuing multiple competitions, but City could have the title wrapped up by mid–March. That will count for a lot.
Carabao Cup, odds 2/5
A short price to win the trophy, although plenty will be backing them at 4/7 to beat Arsenal inside 90 minutes at Wembley. In a way, this could prove to be the trickiest of the four. Arsenal are always capable of winning at Wembley and ruined Chelsea’s double hopes in the FA Cup Final last season.
FA Cup, odds 2/1
At the time of writing, City’s next game is the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Wigan. One of the great shocks in the competition’s history was Wigan beating City in the 2013 Final. The teams have gone in opposite directions since that day however, and City should march on to the quarter finals.
Champions League, odds 5/2
The competition that Pep Guardiola will surely focus on the most having wrapped up the Premier League. The 4-0 thrashing of Basel was impressive in the Last 16 first-leg, even though the Swiss side is widely regarded as the weakest side left in the competition. The return leg on the 7th March should be a formality with City even afforded the luxury of resting players.
City’s overall quadruple odds: 14/1 (approx.)
While many will be thinking that 14/1 is a short price to win four competitions, it really isn’t when you consider that the Premier League is done and dusted, and that the League Cup is a one-off game against Arsenal. They are looking good in the Champions League and have a relatively easy draw in the FA Cup. There is also a fair chance that City will be lot shorter than 14/1 in a couple of weeks’ time.