Why the quadruple remains English football's impossible dream

In December, Pep Guardiola dismissed the possibility of Manchester City winning the quadruple this season as "impossible", and this week's events have proven him right.

While the Premier League title is as good as wrapped up and only one Sunday's final separates them from a Carabao Cup win, a shock defeat in the FA Cup at Wigan put to bed any remaining possibility of glory on four fronts.

The treble has been achieved by United, and City could still win a treble of their own this season, but the quadruple remains an impossible dream, never realised and possibly never to be achieved.

Here, we remember the teams that came closest to winning all four competitions, with a look at where - and when - their quadruple bid ended. 

Leeds United - 1969/70

The ultimate 'nearly' season. Don Revie's great side came desperately close to winning three of four available trophies, finishing as Division One runners-up (albeit by a nine-point margin) to Everton, losing FA Cup finalists (they were beaten by Chelsea in a replay in a famous bad-tempered encounter) and being beaten in the European Cup semi-finals by Celtic.

Nottingham Forest, 1978/79

Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest won two of the four trophies on offer in the 1978-79 season, and were fighting on four fronts until the end of February, when they were beaten by Arsenal in the FA Cup fifth round. They went on to lift the European Cup for the first time in the club's history in 1979 - they would win it again the following year - but were pipped to the First Division title by Liverpool.

Liverpool, 1983/84

Joe Fagan's first season in charge of Liverpool saw them become the first English club to record a treble after winning the First Division, European Cup and League Cup. Ian Rush led the way with 32 goals, but hopes of a quadruple had been derailed at the end of January after a 2-0 loss away at Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round.

Manchester United, 1998/99

After finishing the previous season trophyless, Manchester United made amends by pipping Arsenal to the Premier League title, lifting the FA Cup and famously defeating Bayern Munich in injury time to win the European Cup, all in the space of 11 days in May.

However, their quadruple hopes had been scuppered reasonably early - courtesy of a defeat in the League Cup quarter-finals to Tottenham. 

Manchester United, 2002/03

United harboured hopes of four major honours until a disastrous four-week spell ended their hopes in three of them: they were beaten in the FA Cup fifth round by Arsenal, the League Cup final by Liverpool and in the Champions League by Real Madrid. Their 'consolation' was winning the Premier League title by five points from Arsenal, who had led for most of the campaign until a late-season collapse.

Arsenal, 2003/04

Arsene Wenger's side may have been invincible in the league but they fell just short in the other major competitions. Their quadruple challenge was ended in the League Cup semi-finals by Middlesbrough on Feb 5, while they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and the Champions League by Chelsea.

Chelsea, 2006/07

The nearest any English club has come to a quadruple, with Jose Mourinho's side having genuine hopes of succcess in all four competitions until May 1, when they were beaten on penalties by Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals. A run of draws then demolished their hopes of a third straight league title, although they did win a League Cup and FA Cup double, with Didier Drogba ending the season with 33 goals. 

Manchester United, 2008/09

Unitedwon the Premier League for the third consecutive year and beat Tottenham on penalties to add the League Cup to their trophy cabinet. Though they lost to Everton by the same means in the FA Cup semi-final and lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League Final, denying them a quadruple.

Manchester City, 2013/14

City looked ominously strong under Manuel Pellegrini, keeping pace at the top of the Premier League and winning the League Cup final in early March. But Barcelona ultimately quashed their hopes with a dominant performance in the Champions League last 16 tie, while Wigan - yes, them again - sent them crashing out of the FA Cup quarter-finals.