In the harsh and bitter winter of 2011, Arsene Wenger was full of optimism. Arsenal had just beaten Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16, and were mere weeks away from the final of the illustrious Carling Cup. They were in the hunt for the league title, and soon to compete against the might of Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fifth round. Then, Arsene was asked whether Arsenal could do 'the Quadruple'. He succumbed to hubris, and his hopes for the campaign came tumbling down.By answering in the affirmative to a question about 'the Quadruple', Wenger unleashed a scourge upon Arsenal's season. The sheer folly of thinking that a side could win all four domestic and continental competitions was monumental, especially when that side included Sebastien Squillaci and Marouane Chamakh. Within what seemed like a couple of weeks, Arsenal were out of contention on every front. Wenger was left broken, defeated, and ruing the day that he ever invoked the Quadruple. From that day on, managers knew not to discuss it, lest they unleash its terrible curse upon the world.
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It's perhaps little surprise, then, to see Pep Guardiola shunning all mention of the accursed Quadruple. Having been asked about Manchester City's chances of winning all four competitions after their emphatic win over Bournemouth on the weekend, Pep Guardiola replied: "What the fuck?" That might be because it's only mid September, and the idea that a club could have every competition in the bag at this point is patently, obviously fucking absurd. That said, there was a hint of fear in Pep's reply. He knows all too well the malevolent power of that dreadful fourfold achievement, to the point that he dare not even speak its name.While Manchester City have made the perfect start to the season, we wouldn't be surprised if they now go on a tumultuous run. Though Pep himself recoiled from the mention of the Quadruple, a mere whisper of it in the press room is enough to see a club go out of the League Cup, at the very least. Pep will have to hope that he did enough to ward off the curse, lest the fruits of victory turn to ash on his lips. He need only look to his Arsenal counterpart to see what talk of the Quadruple can do to a man. Arsene Wenger still lies awake at night, and hears the taunting murmur of it – "The Quadruple! The Quadruple! The Quadruple!" – echoing on the wind.