Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City stars not to rest on their laurels after winning the FA Cup, insisting that the club's greatest achievement is their remarkable consistency in reaching Wembley.
The Catalan manager added the FA Cup to the Carabao Cup already secured this season, marking the 20th trophy of his decade-long tenure at the Etihad. No manager in English football history has collected silverware at a faster rate, surpassing even Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary haul at Manchester United.
However, Guardiola was quick to bring his squad back down to earth after their 2-0 victory over Chelsea. He allowed his players just one celebratory drink, preferring them to maintain their hunger for trophies rather than bask in past glories.
Guardiola said: "It's good to get a taste for trophies, but don't take it for granted. You start to believe you are special, but you will be displaced. Trophies are good, but they can vanish quickly."
The manager pointed to last season's trophyless campaign—the first since he took charge in 2016—as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. City responded by winning two trophies this term, but Guardiola believes the true measure of success is their relentless presence at Wembley.
"I think the biggest title is to come here 24 times," Guardiola said. "We can win the Premier League and Champions League, but to play 24 times here is because we were stubborn. That is the biggest complement we can get as a club."
City have now reached a record four successive FA Cup finals and made 24 visits to the national stadium under Guardiola. He added: "They push me, and I push them. Why should we be complacent? Last season we dropped massively, and I didn't make things click. There are minimum standards that we require."
With the Premier League title race still alive, Guardiola's focus has already shifted to Tuesday's crucial match against Bournemouth. City trail Arsenal and must win to keep their hopes alive.
"The fatigue will be the same, but the energy will be different," Guardiola noted. "Going to Bournemouth, losing this would have made it more difficult. We know what we have to do."
City endured a nightmare six-hour train journey to London for the final, but will fly to the south coast for their next fixture. Guardiola expects a tough test against Andoni Iraola's side, describing them as "an incredible team with rhythm and pressing."
