Pep Guardiola to spend next two weeks plotting Man City’s route to quadruple
Pep Guardiola will spend the international break plotting how Manchester City can go on to make the impossible possible.
City took another big step towards landing a historic Quadruple with a hard-fought win at Everton to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for a third time on the spin for the first time since the 1930s.
Late goals from Ilkay Gundogan and substitute Kevin De Bruyne saw off a spirited and physical Toffees side, as City made it 25 wins from the last 26 games in all competitions.
A two-week break in the domestic calendar might be in danger of halting City's momentum.
But Guardiola has no intention of using the time to slow down – and will spend it working on a plan to make sure his City juggernaut keeps flattening all those in its path once the games start coming thick and fast again.
City face a gruelling run of four crucial matches in 11 days next month against Leicester, Leeds and back-to-back clashes with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Guardiola said: "We're going to break, to enjoy our families or play international games.
"Then we come back, with two months until the end of the season and every game is closer to winning titles, but still there are many, many games.
"Now what I'm thinking is Leicester and how strong they are. They beat us 5-1 at home (in September) and after that the Champions League and after that, Leeds. Leeds is the worst opponent we can play between the Champions League games. The worst.
"We still have to win four or five Premier League games and in knockout games everything can happen.
"But the spirit and the commitment is fantastic, that's why we achieved what we achieved. I will never forget what we achieved in these last four months."
Chances were few and far between in a tight contest between the irresistible force and immovable object.
Phil Foden tried his luck with two powerful drives while the out-of-sorts Raheem Sterling saw Toffees third choice goalkeeper Joao Virginia produce a stunning second half save to tip wide his second half shot.
Carlo Ancelotti's men were disciplined and well organised, but didn't show enough ambition to win the game and were eventually breached on 84 minutes when Gundogan stooped to head in a loose ball after Virginia had tipped Aymeric Laporte's effort onto the crossbar.
Moments later De Bruyne burst through the middle to bury a shot past Virginia to seal the win and leave Ancelotti purring at the levels his old rival Guardiola has taken his side to.
The Italian said: "At this moment, there is no team who can play at this level in the world.
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"Of course, we didn't have a lot of opportunities, some set pieces, but that was absolutely normal.
"I am satisfied because we competed well against the best team in the world, in this moment, I think they are the best.
"We are upset because we are out of an important competition, but it was a good experience for us.
"I think there are no regrets. The regrets are the game against Burnley, where we didn't use this type of concentration, or the game against Fulham (Premier League defeats in the past five weeks)."
EVERTON (3-4-1-2): Virginia 7; Holgate 7 (Iwobi 87), Mina 7, GODFREY 8; Coleman 7, Gomes 7, Allan 6, Digne 6; Sigurdsson 6; Richarlison 6, Calvert-Lewin 6. Subs: Leban, Tyrer, Broadhead, Davies, John, Keane, Nkounkou, Onyango.
UP NEXT: Crystal Palace (h), Premier League, April 5.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Steffen 7; Walker 7, Dias 8, Laporte 7, Zinchenko 7; Fernandinho 7, Gundogan 8 (Rodri 90), Silva 6 (Mahrez 64, 7); Sterling 5 (De Bruyne 79, 7), Jesus 6, FODEN 9. Subs: Ederson, Stones, Aguero, Torres, Mendy, Cancelo.
UP NEXT: Leicester (a), Premier League, April 3.
REFEREE: Michael Oliver 7
MAN OF THE MATCH – PHIL FODEN – Mesmerising at times.
WORST PERFORMER – RAHEEM STERLING – Did nothing.
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