Quadruple dream over but season alive

March 24, 2026 Oliver Obel

Arsenal’s bid to achieve one of football’s rarest accomplishments came to an end at Wembley, where Manchester City claimed the Carabao Cup and halted Mikel Arteta’s side in their pursuit of a historic quadruple.

City secured the victory thanks to two goals from Nico O’Reilly, leaving Arsenal to reassess their ambitions for the remainder of the season. While the defeat closes the door on one milestone, the north London club remain in contention for the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

The concept of a “true” quadruple—winning the European Cup, domestic league, primary domestic cup and league cup in a single season—has long been considered one of the most difficult feats in club football. Arsenal were aiming to become only the second European side to accomplish it.

That benchmark is still held by Celtic. According to historical records, the Scottish club’s 1966–67 campaign under Jock Stein remains the only example of a team completing that exact set of trophies. The side, famously known as the “Lisbon Lions,” capped their season with a 2–1 victory over Inter Milan in the European Cup final, alongside sweeping all major domestic honours in Scotland.

No club in Europe has matched that combination since, despite several coming close in different formats.

Outside Europe, Santos achieved a comparable four-trophy season in 1962 during Pelé’s era, winning both domestic and international competitions. However, differences in competition structures mean such achievements are often considered separately from the European “true quadruple.”

In modern football, multiple teams have collected four trophies in a single season, though not under the same criteria. Paris Saint-Germain, for example, have done so several times, but their totals included the French Super Cup—widely viewed as outside the core set of major honours.

Similarly, clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto and Real Madrid have assembled four-trophy campaigns, albeit across varying combinations of competitions.

Treble-winning seasons remain more common by comparison. Manchester United’s 1999 campaign, completed with a dramatic Champions League final win, is often cited as the benchmark in English football. Manchester City matched that achievement in 2023 under Pep Guardiola.

For Arsenal, the immediate focus now shifts to ensuring the Wembley disappointment does not derail their broader campaign. With three major competitions still in play and a six-year wait for silverware hanging over the club, the coming months will be decisive in shaping how this season is ultimately remembered.

Sources: BBC Sport, Sky Sports, historical club records