Manchester City and Pep Guardiola issued Real Madrid Champions League warning by ex-Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand

Manchester City took a giant step towards winning the Premier League title on Wednesday after a resounding 4-1 home win over Arsenal, which moves them to with two points of Mikel Arteta’s side, how have played two games more. Retaining the trophy they won last year is in the Sky Blues’ own hands and given the form the two teams find themselves in, it looks unlikely that the Gunners can turn things back around before the end of the season. In addition, Pep Guardiola and his men are inching ever closer to winning the treble, as they will take on city rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final and are still in the Champions League, where they will face Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

Ferdinand: “The big one is Real Madrid”

Guardiola’s City have become the dominant force in the England in recent years, much to the displeasure of Rio Ferdinand. The ex-United defender is pinning all his hopes on Real Madrid stopping the reigning Premier League champions from getting their hands on a hat-trick of trophies. “They matches they have in the Premier League, they could win them all. They almost showed that with the number of points they reached in the last two seasons. But the Champions League is different. The big one is Real Madrid, it doesn’t matter how they go into that game, we’ve seen the history they have in the Champions League. They can pull a win out of thin air. They have world-class players all over the pitch and the experience to match this City side”, said Ferdinand.

City favourites to beat United in Manchester derby FA Cup Final

The former Red Devils centre-back has little hope that his former team can beat City in the FA Cup final: “The game against Madrid is the most difficult game they have. Then the derby in the FA Cup final. You never know what can happen, they are favourites, but could they lose to United? Yes, it could happen”.

But for the ex-England star, there is little doubt that Real Madrid are the team most capable of stopping Manchester City from emulating a feat that United became the first - and so far only - team to achieve in 1999.