Manchester City could be one of the greatest teams ever… but they have to win the Champions League to prove it
Pep Gurdiola's team only need six more victories to win the Premier League and could get a record points and goals haul
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IT doesn’t take a genius to tell us Manchester City are playing scintillating football right now.
Some of the best we have ever seen in this country? I would say so.
Between now and May, six more wins in the league and Man City have the title.
They could well go on to beat two records — both set by Chelsea — for best Premier League points tally of 95 in 2005 and most goals scored at 103 in 2010.
Five more wins in the domestic cups and they will have bagged a Treble.
They have one foot in the last eight of the Champions League too and on this form even Real Madrid and Barcelona should be worried about the ultimate destiny of this season’s trophy.
Win all four competitions and they will be placed in the pantheon of not just the greatest club sides in England but in the world.
If I was putting my house on it — and I’m not by the way — I would say they won’t do it as it is such a big ask.
ACCESS DENIED Gabriel Jesus closes in on a return - but without his close-knit entourage who were refused access to UK
That is not to say it isn’t a distinct possibility.
The league is wrapped up.
I have no doubt in the FA Cup they will beat Wigan tonight and Southampton in the quarter-finals.
Then it will get interesting with Manchester United, Chelsea and Spurs all probably joining them in the last four.
The Carabao Cup final next Sunday should be a cracker between two attacking sides with Arsenal the opponents.
The difference will be that City know how to defend.
Their destruction of Basel in the first round of their last-16 Champions League tie already has their name pencilled into the last eight.
It is the Champions League glory that they really need to stand alongside the great United sides built by Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson across town.
How have they got to this point of near footballing immortality?
Well, obviously, no little amount of money has been spent on the squad.
Pep had to recruit the right men to play the 'Barcelona' way.
And in Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus they have the energy of youth alongside David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho.
Even in goal they have the ingredient they were missing. Ederson is as big a key to what is happening with this team as anyone.
It is not all just quality on the ball but what they do without it.
The energy levels of these players must be off the scale as it was at the Nou Camp in Guardiola’s time there.
Lose the ball and three players are hounding you down to get it back.
Opponents are so exhausted by the time they win possession that they don’t have a second to think about what to do with it.
De Bruyne has undoubtedly been the stand-out player.
He must be a dream for the likes of Aguero with his delivery of all types of through balls perfectly weighted to be finished off.
Concentrate on stopping him and you forget about the quality elsewhere you have to deal with.
Of all the work Guardiola has done at City, the improvement in winger Raheem Sterling stands out for me. He has 20 goals this season, already almost double his previous best tally.
Someone who looked in two minds in front of goal is now an assured finisher.
He is arguably the most skilful attacking player in an England shirt alongside Harry Kane.
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Just think what confidence he could have heading to Russia this summer.
It’s all very exciting, it’s all there to be won for City.
But they need one trophy ahead of all others and, until the Champions League is won, debate over their true greatness will continue to rage.