Manchester City stars reach for new heights as Pep Guardiola looks to stay grounded

While Guardiola has actively sought to downplay talk of the quadruple, Oleksandr Zinchenko has said it's a dream that is driving on his teammates at City

Manchester City's celebrate together after drawing level with Burnley on Saturday (Getty)

Pep Guardiola may steadfastly refuse to discuss the prospect of Manchester City winning an unprecedented four trophies this season but, unfortunately for the cautious Catalan, that memo has failed to reach his dressing room.

An irresistible second half showing against Sean Dyche’s Burnley eased the side into the fourth round of the FA Cup and maintained City’s unbeaten domestic campaign in emphatic fashion.

Tuesday sees Guardiola face Championship side Bristol City in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, while FC Basel await in the Champions League last 16 – both favourable draws, however the City manager may try and say otherwise.

With the Premier League as good as won, every passing week has more observers, and many more City supporters, jumping on the quadruple bandwagon.

But Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is emerging as an important part of Guardiola’s squad in cup competitions, insists it is also a dream that drives on City’s stars, who have not lost a game to an English team since the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal 259 days ago.

He said: “We think about this every single day and every training session – we can win everything, and that’s why we are here.

“I am happy to be part of this team and train hard every day, waiting for my chance. The manager told me I had to be ready.

“I was on loan at PSV last year, but now my goal is just to be here. Everything I do is for this.

“This is only my second year in Europe – before that I was in Russia and Ukraine and they play very different football.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has established himself as an important player in Pep Guardiola’s cup squad (Getty)

“I am used to it now but last season was my first in Europe, with different football and mentality. I needed time and patience, but it has already happened and now everything is okay.”

Zinchenko has emerged as one of the many City success stories this season, a winger converted to left-back by Guardiola and now, with Benjamin Mendy injured, an important back-up to injury prone Fabian Delph who, himself, was switched from his customary midfield role.

He said: “This is a new position for me but I am getting used to it and every single day I learn more – all my teammates give me advice about what to do with the ball or without it.

“Before the game Fabian gave me advice. We always speak to each other.”

Guardiola will make changes again for the first leg Carabao Cup semi-final against Bristol City although it is hard to imagine that the City manager has anything other than an emphatic victory in his sights, given the importance he places on the need for his club to win their first trophy of his reign.

Guardiola said: “It is so important, a win helps to win more, and if we are there, we are going to go to London to play the final, then it’s important.

Pep Guardiola wants City to take the domestic cups seriously (Getty)

“To become a big club like the teams I’ve faced, or United, or Liverpool with their history, you have to win.

“So it nice to have good performances but you have to lift the titles and it’s important and we’re going to try. But nobody can take away what we’ve done so far.

“The pleasure we’ve had so far over three or fourth months belongs to us, the fans can enjoy the game. I told them to enjoy the big moments, because that is so complicated it maybe not happen again.

“But we have to lift titles in the future, without them it’s not enough.”

Sergio Aguero scores for Manchester City against Burnley (Getty ) (Getty)

Two second half goals from Sergio Aguero were enough to cancel out Ashley Barnes’ first half opener, before Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva completed the rout. But Burnley were angered by referee Graham Scott whom they thought allowed City to take a free-kick too quickly, leading to Aguero’s equaliser.

Burnley defender Ben Mee said: “One of our players was ushered away from the ball and possibly told the whistle was being blown, and waiting for the whistle.

“You do need your breaks against the big sides. We scored a fantastic goal first half, held our line and defended very well.

“You do need to make your own luck at times, but you need a bit if extra help and luck here.”