In just 6 days before the international holiday, Manchester City has gone from struggling with what seemed to be the ruins of last season to breathing new life into the final stage of the campaign.
Two defeats against Real Madrid in the Champions League, interspersed with losing points in the Premier League against West Ham United, have hit Man City's ambitions hard.
But then the victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final came, and suddenly the remaining two months became full of hope. Not only the result at Wembley, but also the performance. In the second half, Man City played sharply and full of energy, while Arsenal appeared lifeless and worried.
After the match, at a press conference at Wembley, coach Pep Guardiola tried to mitigate the impact of this victory on the Premier League title race. However, hero Nico O'Reilly admitted that Man City is craving.
At least, Guardiola and his students will return with a more positive spirit before the sprint stage.
The schedule starts with the FA Cup quarter-final match against Liverpool at the Etihad, followed by an important away match against Chelsea in the Premier League. After that, Arsenal will travel to the Etihad in a match that could decide the championship race.
This 3-match streak will decide whether the Carabao Cup is the only highlight of the season or whether Man City can win more titles.
According to British media, Guardiola has taken advantage of the international holiday to think about the future. The 55-year-old captain still has one year of contract left, but the possibility of leaving in the summer does not surprise Man City's internal affairs.
The leadership, including President Khaldoon Al Mubarak and CEO Ferran Soriano, still gives Guardiola time and space to make decisions. However, they also understand that they need to have an answer soon to prepare for the summer, especially when the World Cup will affect the transfer plan.
Man City is confident in their succession plan and has taken probing steps. However, everything still depends on Guardiola's final decision. Besides, personnel changes are also approaching.
Bernardo Silva has not officially announced his departure, but is likely to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. At the age of 31, he still has many options for the future. John Stones' contract will also expire in June.
Meanwhile, Rodri is said to be taking steps towards Real Madrid. He has one year left on his contract and is expected to negotiate in the summer. Man City has known for a long time about his desire to return to Spain, but it is still unclear whether Real Madrid will really pursue it.
The midfield is The Citizens' priority strength, with Elliot Anderson as one of the targets. However, this does not necessarily stem from concerns about Rodri's form, but may be related to long-term strategy.
From another perspective, Man City is still waiting for a ruling in the legal battle with the Premier League.
Regarding transfers, the club affirmed that everything is still going normally. The recruitment of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January shows that they are still attractive enough for quality targets.
Both have had a positive impact when in 9 matches starting together, Man City only lost one match - a 0-3 defeat to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. With long-term contract pillars such as Guehi, Semenyo, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Erling Haaland, Man City believes they can overcome all fluctuations, even when Guardiola leaves.
Currently, all focus is still on matches against Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal. These are the matches that will decide whether Man City can add more titles to their collection or not.
