Manchester City are FA Cup champions, as if it was ever in doubt. City entered today's final against Watford as heavy favourites, but the game turned out to be even more one sided than we could have imagined.
We may have hoped for a goal fest, but certainly not in that manner. City would run out 6-0 winners, the largest deficit seen in an FA Cup final since 1903.
This victory completed what has been a remarkable domestic campaign for Guardiola's side, who won every honour available in the English game. It is the first domestic treble since the League Cup began in 1960.
The only competition City would fall short in would be the Champions League, where they would exit at the quarter final stage for the second year in a row. While many might have assumed their main goal would have been continental success this season, Guardiola actually believes that this domestic treble is a better achievement than winning Europe's premier club competition:
It’s one of the best seasons I have experienced as a manager. I wouldn’t say the best but one of the best for sure.
To be the first to win the treble means that if one team is able to do that another team will repeat it sooner or later. But we were the first, and that means consistency every day for 10 months.
I love the Champions League but to do that is more difficult than to win the Champions League.
We're not so sure about that one Pep. Winning the Premier League is incredibly difficult, especially considering the competition provided by Liverpool this season. However, the accomplishment of winning the two domestic cup competitions has certainly been diminished in recent seasons.
This is especially true when you consider the opposition City faced in these competitions. They only played one other top six side in cup competitions this season, Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
Other opponents included the likes of Newport County, Rotherham, Burton Albion, Swansea City and Oxford United. In fact, half of their cup games came against lower league opposition.
To say completing this treble is a better achievement than winning the Champions League is a bit disingenuous, considering the difference in the standard of competition faced.
The European Cup is perhaps the most difficult competition to win in club football, and you get the feeling Pep would be singing a different tune had his team had more success in Europe this season.
