Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown believes Manchester United's treble-winning season was 'more of an achievement' than that of Manchester City due to the quality of their title rivals.
City secured a historic treble on Saturday after beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final. The Blues pipped their Manchester rivals to the FA Cup just seven days prior and brought the Premier League back to the Etihad for a third straight season.
It is only the second time in English football history that a team has won all three trophies, with Sir Alex Ferguson's United having done to back in 1999.
Both seasons saw Arsenal as the main rivals in the league, and Keown believes that United's achievement was a bigger one due to the Gunners being a more powerful outfit 24 years ago.
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"They want to lay claim to the successes of the previous treble which was ‘99, Manchester United, but I'm pretty certain that domestic rivalry brings out the best in you and makes you go to another level," Keown told TalkSPORT. "Man City were somewhat behind Arsenal, who were incredible in the league and it fell away.
"But in a way it maybe got Man City to change gear, got Pep to get even better and look at playing Stones in a midfield role - which he wasn't playing before the World Cup, after the World Cup everything changed. They slid into another gear and you do have to have that domestic rivalry.
"Maybe what Man United did - to compare, with Arsenal having won the double before [in 1998] - maybe it was even more of an achievement for Man United because domestically, it was more difficult then. Just three years later we [Arsenal] won another double.
"So they were in and around a team that were really pushing them on their own doorstep, whereas Man City, once Arsenal fell over it was pretty easy for them to do what they did.
"However I do think this is just the beginning. When I look at the quality of their squad, and you know he is going to buy again."
The Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League is the ultimate footballing achievement and you can get your hands on the only official souvenir publication of Manchester City's history-making 2022-23 season, packed with amazing pictures, match reports and reaction. Get your copy here.
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