Guardiola: ‘We have to win again’
● Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick as Manchester City crushed Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final yesterday to become the first team to win the English treble of league championship and both domestic cups in spectacular style.
City, who retained the Premier League title last week and won the League Cup with a penalty shootout victory over Chelsea in February, were in charge throughout and led 2-0 at half-time with goals by David Silva and Sterling.
Kevin de Bruyne came off the bench to smash in the third after 61 minutes, Gabrielle Jesus slotted the fourth soon after and Sterling got his second nine minutes from time.
Sterling finished it off in the 87th minute, becoming the first player to score an FA Cup final hat-trick since Stan Mortensen in 1953, as City matched the record final victory set 116 years ago when Bury thumped Derby County 6-0.
The champagne corks had barely stopped popping after City’s Premier League triumph last weekend before Pep Guardiola issued a warning to his players.
Describing winning as “so addictive“, Guardiola called on City’s stars to extend their domination of English football well into the future.
“We have to win again and again,” he said. “It has been incredible. But from the first day of next season, we start from zero.”
Guardiola’s message was received loud and clear on the evidence of a swaggering victory over Watford that made City the first English club to win the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup in one season.
Guardiola’s first FA Cup triumph brought him a sixth trophy since he arrived at City in 2016.
The 48-year-old has now won 27 trophies in his glittering managerial career with City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Even equalling the biggest ever FA Cup final margin of victory is unlikely to sate Guardiola.
“People don’t like winners. But competitive people are never satisfied, it’s never enough. We want more and more,” he said.
That drive was clear to see in the second half at Wembley as City showed no mercy, piling on the goals.
David Silva and Bernardo Silva were at their brilliant best to ensure Manchester City didn’t miss a beat after Pep Guardiola’s surprise decision to leave out Sergio Aguero.
Aguero started on the bench as Guardiola dropped City’s all-time leading scorer in the only change to the team that won the Premier League at Brighton.
Watford left Wembley battered and bruised.