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Wigan were relegated from the Premier League last night, after a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal, but will boss Roberto Martinez remain with the Latics this summer?

Wigan Athletic suffered a 4-1 defeat at Arsenal last night and suffered relegation for the first time in the clubs history.

The disappointment comes just three days after the Latics celebrated a famous 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

Too far

The Latics have survived the drop for the last couple of seasons, despite boss Roberto Martinez working on a shoestring budget and at times selling his best players. This season was a relegation battle too far.

Athletic were the only club in the Premier League to have never suffered a relegation, that has now changed thanks too last night’s defeat. The Latics put up a decent fight, but in the end, Arsenal’s class shone through.

Style

It really is a shame that the Premier League is losing such an attractive team to watch and a manager that always seems positive in his approach to the game. Although, the Spaniard could move on this summer, more on that later.

The Latics tried to play an expansive brand of football. Their forward line is a threat to every defence in the top flight, with attacking trio Shaun Maloney, Callum McManaman and Arouna Kone vital to their game play.

Poor

Wigan’s problems lie in defence and have done for a few seasons. Individual mistakes and poor defending have meant that for the last few seasons the Lancashire club have struggled against the drop.

Last night was the perfect example of the leaky nature of the Wigan defence. Their poor defending has finally cost the Latics their top-flight status.

Popular

Wigan seems to have become very popular in the last few days since their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. They were the ultimate underdogs and deserved to defeat the former-champions. The victory was by no means a fluke either, as Wigan were the better team on the day.

Unfortunately, the last three games have summed up Wigan in the last few seasons, sometimes fantastic and sometimes calamitous. They enjoyed more of the latter than the former though this season.

Highly-rated

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is highly rated and is the current favourite to take over from David Moyes at Everton. Martinez’s tactical nous has been lauded at times during his tenure at the DW Stadium, despite his side struggling against relegation in the last few years.

Martinez has attracted the interest of bigger clubs in the past in the shape of Liverpool and Aston Villa. The Spaniard remained loyal to the Latics, but he may feel that now is the time to take a step-up.

The job at Everton will an attractive prospect to a lot of bosses, as the Toffees will finish sixth in the Premier League and in fact in nine out of the last ten seasons would have qualified for Europe with their current points total.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has stated that he believes that his manager will stay loyal to the club and help the club bounce straight back up into the top flight. However, Whelan also stated that he would not stand in Martinez’s way if the Spaniard wished to join the Toffees.

Bounce back

It will be tough for Wigan to bounce straight back up into the Premier League. A number of their top players are likely to move on this summer, with the likes of James McCarthy and Arouna Kone believed to be high on a host of Premier League clubs summer shopping lists.

It is vital that Wigan can keep the core of the team that won the FA Cup. It is also important that should they lose Martinez, which is highly likely, they find a boss with a similar philosophy. Too many teams have struggled to cope with life after the Premier League. I just hope that the Latics do not go the same way.

Proud

Everybody connected with Wigan should be proud of their football club. They have come a long way in the last two decades and I just hope that the progress the Latics have made is not wasted. At least the Latics fans will always have their FA Cup victory to dilute the pain of relegation.

Can Wigan bounce straight back into the Premier League next season?

Wigan defeated Manchester City 1-0 in yesterdays FA Cup final

Wigan claimed a famous 1-0 FA Cup final victory over oil-rich Manchester City at Wembley yesterday.

The underdogs richly deserved their victory and were the better of the two teams. The Latics got their reward for an excellent team performance.

Underdogs

An underdog has not won the FA Cup final since 1995 when Everton defeated Manchester United 1-0.

Wigan went into this clash as clear underdogs with odds of 8/1 and higher listed at Unibet and other big bookmakers. And not many neutrals gave the Latics a chance of claiming the famous old trophy.

However, Roberto Martinez’s men had different ideas and looked more like the favourites in the clash. City arrived expecting just to lift the trophy and got a short sharp shock from the Premier League strugglers.

Outstanding

Although the whole Wigan side put in an outstanding performance, one player stood out Callum McManaman. The youngster has been much-maligned for a dangerous tackle on Newcastle full-back Massadio Haidara.

It was a poor tackle, but the youngster should now be able to move on from the incident and yesterday’s performance proved that he could compete against top class opponents. Repeatedly he took on the City defence and caused them problems.

The 22 year-olds Wigan career lifted off in the early rounds of the FA Cup and he is now a regular in the Premier League team. The exciting young winger has the potential to become a very good player in the future.

Clever

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez was very astute in the way he set-up his team in yesterday’s clash. He decided to leave McManaman and Arouna Kone up field and attack City’s flanks. The tactics worked a treat, as McManaman saw a lot of the ball and cause problems.

Martinez was very aware of how City can be very narrow at times and like any good boss exploited what he saw as City’s weakness. It is these sorts of decisions that have made the Spaniard so highly-rated.

The Wigan chairman Dave Whelan believes that the 39 year-old will stay with the Latics, despite speculation mounting that he is top of Everton’s wishlist to replace David Moyes. The former-Swansea boss has ruled out discussing his future until the summer.

Survival

Much will depend on whether the Latics survive the drop this season. The Latics face a vital game at Arsenal on Tuesday night, by then though they could be in major trouble, if Newcastle and Norwich win their games today.

However, after their victory over Manchester City Wigan will believe that anything is possible and the Latics claimed a victory at the Emirates Stadium last season. With morale high amongst the Wigan players, they could yet still pull off the great escape.

Lacklustre

Not to deride Wigan’s victory, but Manchester City really did produce a lacklustre display. The Citizens did create chances, but they did not do enough to deserve victory.

According to reports Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini maybe replaced by Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini in the summer. The FA Cup final defeat will only add to the speculation that the Italian boss is set to leave Eastland’s this summer.

The City owners will no doubt be unhappy at not claiming silverware this season and Mancini could pay the price for that failure by losing his job. Failure is not an option at the Etihad Stadium these days.

Difference

Wigan’s victory in the FA Cup final could have a major influence on what happens next season for both Manchester City and Wigan. As previously mentioned the defeat could cost Roberto Mancini his job.

For Wigan, it could be just as important. The win could inspire the confidence needed for the Latics to beat the drop. That would mean keeping their best players, but even more importantly could mean keeping their highly-rated manager.

Martinez deserves all the credit he gets and deserves a chance at a bigger club and after the FA Cup final triumph the Spaniards stock will be even higher.

Magic

Wigan winning the FA Cup was the biggest shock since Wimbledon defeated Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup final. It was unexpected and frankly deserved victory. Wigan’s win shows that the magic of the FA Cup still survives.

Will Wigan now survive the drop from the Premier League?

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini doesn’t feel that his side deserved to lose the FA Cup final against Wigan.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has insisted luck did not play a part in his side’s 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City on Saturday.

Wigan produced one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history as they earned a 1-0 final win over Manchester City on Saturday.

The two Roberto’s Mancini and Martinez go head-to-head in the FA Cup final, as Manchester City face wigan

Manchester City and Wigan face each other later today in the FA Cup final. The pair has enjoyed contrasting fortunes this season.

Manchester City challenged for the Premier League title as expected, but fell just short of their relentless neighbours Manchester United.

While their opponents Wigan have endured another season of struggling at the bottom of the Premier League table.

In fact, you could even say that this cup final is an unwanted distraction for the Latics, with a crucial Premier League game coming up on Tuesday night.

Contrast

This is very much a case of sheikhs vs. paupers. Manchester City has had the fortune of having hundreds of millions of pounds to spend on players, courtesy of their oil-rich owner Sheikh Mansour. The money spent has already brought in trophies and will probably carry on doing so in the future.

In contrast, Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has been a very shrewd operator in the transfer market to bring in players that have so far been good enough to keep Wigan in the Premier League, so far that is.

Budget

Martinez’s work on a shoestring budget has attracted interest from elsewhere in his managerial services. In previous summers, the Spaniard has attracted the interest of Aston Villa and Liverpool. His performance in keeping Wigan in the top flight, while playing passing football, has now attracted the interest of Everton.

The Toffee’s will be without a manager on July 1^st, when David Moyes leaves to join Manchester United to replace Sir Alex Ferguson. Martinez had been the favourite for the job for a good while, but he is starting to slip in the betting, after declaring he would not make a decision on his future until the summer.

The speculation must be an unwanted distraction, but it seems that the move would interest the Spaniard. The move to Goodison Park may become even more enticing if the Latics lose their battle for survival.

Priority

The FA Cup final really is not Wigan’s priority. It may be a good day out for the fans, as the Latic’s have never made it to the FA Cup final. However, it is impossible for the fans and players not to be thinking about the crunch trip to Arsenal on Tuesday night in the Premier League.

Tuesday night’s clash is a must-win game for the Latics, but they will find it difficult to win against an Arsenal team still looking to secure Champions League football for next season. The Latics have performed miracles in surviving the drop in the last few seasons, but this could be one too many relegation battle for the Latic’s.

Trophies

Although at the start of the season the FA Cup would not have been top of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini’s wishlist it is always nice to claim silverware. Prior to Mancini’s arrival at Eastland’s trophies were in short supply at City.

Under Roberto Mancini, City has claimed silverware in the previous two seasons. Last season the Citizens claimed the Premier League title and the season before that they won the FA Cup.

Speculation in the media has grown in the last few days that Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini could replace the Italian in the City dugout. Mancini has done a decent job at City and it seems that the majority of City fans want the Italian to stay at the club.

I think it would be harsh on the Italian if he were to be sacked this summer, especially with Manchester United set to be in a transition season under new boss David Moyes. Surely Mancini should be given another season?

Winners

It is hard to see any other outcome than a Manchester City victory at Wembley. The Citizens will not want to end the season without a trophy and the FA Cup final is the perfect opportunity for City to continue winning silverware.

Had Wigan already been safe from the drop then I believe they would make this game more of a priority. However, with Premier League survival at risk, I am sure that this game will take a backseat to Tuesday’s game.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez claims that his teams focus is fully on the FA Cup final. However, that is hard to believe with Wigan so precariously placed in the Premier League table. I would not back against a Wigan win, but they certainly head into the game as major underdogs.

Who will win the FA Cup final?

10th May 2013

Playing at Wembley is a special feeling whatever the occasion, but the FA Cup final might just be the most important game played at the famous venue. Manchester City and Wigan are this year’s finalists with both sides extremely motivated to make a hugely disappointing season tolerable by lifting the coveted trophy.

As much as Roberto Mancini is looking to blame everyone but himself, the fact is he has failed to get the maximum out of his star-studded squad this term. Team’s Champions League campaign was a huge disappointment and the Citizens have no excuse for finishing bottom of their group even if they had to battle the likes of Real, Dortmund and Ajax. Meanwhile, the team have failed to mount a serious title challenge in the Premier League despite being tipped as pre-season favourites for the trophy, but at least they are still in the running for the FA Cup trophy. Manchester City are obviously odds-on favourites to beat Wigan at Wembley, and they really seem to have raised their game over the last couple of months. Apart from the last two games, in which it was evident the players are thinking about the FA Cup final, City have played really well of late and they have every reason to believe the title is their for the taking. Unlike his counterpart, Roberto Mancini had the courtesy of resting his key players and those carrying knocks over the last couple of weeks, which should give the Citizens an extra edge in this match. Yaya Toure should be fit to play, whilst Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Gareth Barry and Matija Nastasic are set to be recalled.

The FA Cup final comes at a bad time for Wigan Athletic, who have just suffered a huge blow to their survival bid having lost at home to Swansea. With the Latics due to play Arsenal away and Aston Villa at home and being three points adrift of safety, everything suggests the escape artists will go down this time and this is not the feeling they would like to have going into the FA Cup final. It is perfectly clear that numerous injuries have disrupted the team’s momentum in the crucial stage of the season, and no doubt the Latics will need a massive effort if they are to upset their more illustrious opponents and lift the coveted title. It does appear the players are running on empty after having played so many crucial games in the last few weeks, while Roberto Mancini faces an anxious wait over several key men. While Ivan Ramis and Maynor Figueroa are definitely out, Antolin Alcaraz and Jean Beausejour are major doubts, while Ronnie Stam has been ruled out for the season. All things considered, Wigan don’t look they can match full-strength Manchester City at the moment.

Conclusion

Manchester City have been able to fully focus on the FA Cup final and that should help their sheer quality stand out against injury-hit Wigan. The Latics are not only set for relegation to the Championship, but their key players are either injured or suffering from fatigue, so there is every chance City will win this one with few goals to spare.

Verdict: Manchester City with -1.5 Asian handicap

Best Odds: 49/50

Bookmaker: bet365

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted his disappointment that brother Kolo is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

The defender moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2009 in a 16 million pound deal from Arsenal, but will not have his contract extended in the summer and has been told he is free to find a new club.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted his disappointment that brother Kolo is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

The defender moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2009 in a 16 million pound deal from Arsenal, but will not have his contract extended in the summer and has been told he is free to find a new club.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted his disappointment that brother Kolo is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

The defender moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2009 in a 16 million pound deal from Arsenal, but will not have his contract extended in the summer and has been told he is free to find a new club.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted his disappointment that brother Kolo is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

The defender moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2009 in a 16 million pound deal from Arsenal, but will not have his contract extended in the summer and has been told he is free to find a new club.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has admitted his disappointment that brother Kolo is set to leave the club at the end of the season.

The defender moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2009 in a 16 million pound deal from Arsenal, but will not have his contract extended in the summer and has been told he is free to find a new club.

Manchester City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon has revealed that Saturday’s FA Cup final could be his last game for the club.

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta says his team-mates view every game as a chance to fight for a starting berth in the FA Cup final.

Wigan attacker Shaun Maloney is confident his side can stun Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup final.

Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic is excited about the chance of playing in his side’s FA Cup final against Wigan.

Nastasic – who joined City from Fiorentina for 12 million pounds in the off-season – has made a terrific start to life in England, making 29 appearances in all competitions throughout the campaign.

The 20-year-old has shown maturity beyond his years and wants to win his first trophy with City against Wigan on Saturday.

“I’m quite philosophical about it. I know people say we are favourites but we are aware that Wigan are a good team,” Nastasic told the Daily Star.

“They have nothing to lose and the burden of expectation is on us. But it’s like any game. I want to win and my team-mates feel the same.

“As a small kid I watched a lot of finals and I’m aware of its history and tradition. Being part of it now myself means a great deal. The final is not over (though). Definitely.”

Wigan owner Dave Whelan has warned that winning the FA Cup will count for nothing if his side are relegated from the Premier League.

Roberto Martinez’s side have flirted with relegation in the past couple of seasons and been able to lift themselves out of the bottom three just in time, but with only a handful of matches remaining, Whelan knows the players will need to put in a lot of hard work to secure a ninth straight season in the Premier League.

The Lancashire club will take on Manchester City in the Wembley final on May 11 and, although Whelan acknowledges winning the trophy “would be amazing”, he does not want it to come at the cost of their top-flight status.

“Survival in the Premier League remains the number one priority for this football club,” he told The Evening Post.

“Winning the FA Cup would be amazing, but not if it comes at the expense of us losing our Premier League status.

“You always have to concentrate on one game at a time, and for us that is West Brom in the Premier League. The feeling in the camp now is one of total concentration ahead of the West Brom game.

“We’ve got a couple of massive games in the league before we go to Wembley, and the lads will be up for them – big style.”

Wigan travel to the Hawthorns on Saturday, where they have enjoyed fine form in recent seasons having avoided defeat in their last four.

They are currently sat 18th in the Premier League, five points adrift of Aston Villa with a game in hand and Whelan knows how crucial it is that they come away with a win.

“It’s a massive game for us – and we all know that,” he added. “We have to go there and win. We have to win.

“We actually went to West Brom last year and won 1-0, and it will be a real fight again this time. They’ve played well this season, even though they have had a bit of a patchy run of late.

“They showed last week at Southampton what they are capable of, when they won 3-0, and we have to be ready for that.”

The Premier League’s Andre Marriner has expressed his joy at being named the referee for the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on May 11.

Marriner will be joined by assistant referees Stephen Child and Simon Long on the pitch, with Anthony Taylor rounding out the crew as the fourth official.

And now the former Birmingham Amateur Football League man, who began his career as a referee by chance in 1992, has spoken of the appointment as the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

“It’s a great honour to be asked to referee the 2013 FA Cup Final especially as it coincides with the 150th anniversary of The Football Association,” he told the Premier League’s official website on Wednesday.

“To be involved in the FA Cup final is ultimately every schoolboy’s dream, and, as an occasion, they don’t come much bigger.

“I’ll approach the Cup Final as I would any other fixture but obviously the whole event is on a completely different scale as it is the biggest club game in world football. The FA Cup is revered around the world because of the importance and history of the competition.”

General Manager of Professional Game Match Officials Limited Mike Riley lauded Marriner in a statement of his own.

“It is a richly deserved appointment for Andre who has been at the very top of his game both domestically and internationally this season. It is also recognition for over two decades of fantastic service to refereeing,” he said.

Manchester City coach David Platt believes the FA Cup still holds a special place in the hearts of English supporters.

City defeated Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday to reach the showpiece final with Wigan on May 11, a result Platt believes is huge in the context of the season.

“It is a big result. There are trophies to play for, you set off every season playing the trophies that you are involved in and you want to win them all,” Platt said.

“The FA Cup has got its own status in this country.

“There is nothing like an FA Cup final in England really, it stands the test of time despite all the euphoria around the Champions League and the Premier League, which are the big prizes let’s not be silly about it.

“It is a great day no matter when it is played, whether it is played at the end of the season or a couple of weeks before the end, it is a great day and we are delighted to be in it.

City face Wigan in the Premier League on Wednesday before another date with Roberto Martinez’s side in the FA Cup final.

City have now defeated arch rivals Manchester United and Chelsea 2-1 in their last two matches and Platt says their level of performance has grown in the latter stage of the season despite not being in contention to win the title.

“I think the performances in the last two have been almost good for different reasons,” he said.

“I think last season we probably eulogised about the manner in which we were playing but at Old Trafford we went and played in a very controlled manner.

“We didn’t dominate in both games, either against Manchester United or Chelsea but we were composed and assured.”

Pablo Zabaleta is hoping Manchester City can lift the FA Cup next month so he can dedicate the title to his dad.

His father, Jorge Zabaleta, was involved in a car crash two years ago and was left in a coma while Roberto Mancini guided City to glory against Stoke at Wembley. He has since been on a slow road to recovery and eagerly watches his son in action when he can.

After having booked their place in another showpeice final, the Manchester City defender is determined to fly his father out to north London to watch him lift the trophy in person.

“The first thing I did is talk to him. He was watching the game,” Zabaleta told reporters.

“I don’t know yet if he’ll come over, I’ll ask him. It would be good if he can try to come for the final.

“But that’s part of life, my wish would be to bring all the family here but I hope they enjoyed watching me on television.

“It was so difficult. Always when you play important games, you expect your family to come over and enjoy the good games with you.”

The Argentina international is not underestimating Wigan, though, and understands how well Roberto Martinez’s side have done in reaching the final.

He added: “We need to say well done to Wigan. They have got to the final for the first time ever. That means Roberto Martinez is doing a fantastic job for them.

“Always in one game anything can happen.

“Now we need to focus on the Premier League because we face Wigan on Wednesday night and it is a crucial game for them.

“They are in a tough moment and we also need to get three points to finish as high as possible this season. Now we will try to do better in the Premier League and then we will have to wait for the final.”

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero believes the club need to be picking up some form of silverware every season.

Roberto Mancini’s men booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday, with the Argentina international netting a looping header past Petr Cech to secure their progression.

After failing to defend their Premier League crown this term, Aguero says it is important for the club to not end up empty handed at the end of the season.

“It is always important to win something. Obviously we are slightly away from the Premier League and we know that we could have done better,” he told the the club’s official website.

“But if we can win a trophy once a year it is very important and that’s what we will try to do.

“Of course we have a good team. We must continue the way we are doing, so we can try and win the FA Cup and continue to go forward in the Premier League. That’s what we are trying to achieve.”

Chelsea gave Mancini’s men a scare with a late rally despite enduring a congested fixture schedule, and Aguero believes the extra games could have actually benefited the opposition.

He continued: “To be honest, sometimes the more games you play the better it is because you keep the intensity levels quite high.

“Sometimes it goes against you, and obviously the pitch was quite large so therefore there was tiredness there in the end.”

City now turn their attention to facing Wigan in the Premier League on Wednesday in what is a dress rehearsal for next month’s FA Cup final.

“It is another important game for us, and if we continue the way we are we will win,” Aguero added.

The Football Association will take no action against Sergio Aguero for his two-footed lunge on David Luiz in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Referee Chris Foy awarded a free-kick at the time and did not even book Aguero, but has been deemed to have already dealt with the incident sufficiently by the FA.

The Argentine was apparently riled at receiving an elbow to the ribs from Luiz moments earlier, and lunged in two-footed as the Brazilian lay prone on the floor following a tussle for possession.

After the match Luiz called on his opponent to apologise, saying: “Aguero’s a great player, he needs to be honest with himself and say, ‘I don’t like to do bad tackles’.

“It was five seconds of anger and I forgive him.”

Aguero had earlier doubled Manchester City’s lead after Samir Nasri’s first-half opener, but Demba Ba set up a grandstand finish by pulling one back after the break.

City held on, however, and will face Wigan in the FA Cup final after they overcame Millwall on Saturday.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said Joe Hart will miss the FA Cup final against Wigan, with Costel Pantilimon to hold his spot.

City’s second-choice goalkeeper was chosen ahead of Hart in the semi-final win against Chelsea, as the Romanian conceded his first goal in the competition this season in the 2-1 victory.

And Mancini, who celebrated reaching another FA Cup final as manager of the Manchester club, said he will stick with Pantilimon for the final against Roberto Martinez’s men.

“Pantilimon is there to do what he did, Costel did very well but he’s a very good keeper – it’s what I expected,” he told the club’s official website.

“He will stay, we have four weeks to think about it but I think he will play [in the final]. He’s worked very well behind Joe Hart and I think for Joe that’s very important.”

Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero put City two goals in front in the clash at Wembley, before Demba Ba pulled a goal back for Chelsea.

Mancini won the FA Cup final with City against Stoke in 2011, and admitted his priorities have changed towards the competition after slipping behind in the Premier League title race.

He added: “We could be disappointed with the Premier League because I think we had another chance to win it if we had worked well last summer but we didn’t, we made some mistakes probably.

“But now we are a good team, we go to the final and we have chance to get the second position and we have a chance to show we shouldn’t be 15 points behind. I think this should be our target now.”

Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez said he felt his side missed out on a crucial penalty decision, when fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres looked to have had his shirt pulled back by City captain Vincent Kompany.

“I think it was a great game with two great teams. In the first-half City were better than us. But, in the second-half, especially after our substitution (Torres), we scored our goal and were on top of them. I think we deserved something more,” Benitez said.

“The key part of the game was the penalty (appeal) on Torres not being given – it would have made a big difference.

“But you have to give credit to City because they are a very good team. Although this decision could have made a big difference.”

Kompany said City’s qualification for the Cup final showed the Etihad Stadium club were always serious contenders for silverware in the competition.

“I think anyone that participates in the FA Cup has to take it seriously and that’s what we’ve always done, not just today but in the previous rounds as well,” the Belgian said.

“It’s a great competition, look at today, 90,000 fans were here and it’s just amazing for us to go again and try our luck at winning the competition.

“I think this is a stadium and a pitch that will suit Wigan and it suits us as well. I expect it to be a good game because they know how to play ball and we do too. For defenders it’s always a bit harder when the game is open but I do feel it’s going to be a great game for the neutrals.”

Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany has refuted claims he fouled Fernando Torres in the box late in his team’s 2-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea.

The Belgium defender appeared to tug the shirt of the Blues striker inside the penalty area as Rafa Benitez’s side mounted a comeback during the closing minutes of the Wembley encounter, with Torres insinuating that referee Chris Foy needed glasses.

But Kompany denied it was a penalty and said he did everything right in the challenge.

“I thought it was great defending,” he told ITV Sport. “I put my body in the way, I did everything I could. He pulled, I put my body in the way – this is football. It was a well fought game and not easy for both teams.”

The victory sees City’s bid to regain the trophy they last won in 2011 continue, and Kompany said the club’s focus will now switch to the final on May 11.

“We never doubted the fact that we wanted to win trophies,” the City skipper added. “This was an important game, and the most important game is going to be in the final against Wigan, and that is what we are looking forward to now.

“It’s brilliant, another great day for the club. When you look at this you can only hope we can have the same scenes when we play against Wigan in the final.”

Roberto Mancini’s side took a first-half lead through Samir Nasri, before Sergio Aguero doubled the advantage early in the second period.

Demba Ba pulled a goal back for Chelsea midway through the second half, and Kompany admitted that goal had brought renewed focus to the side.

“I think for a while it was too comfortable, and it was a wake-up call,” he said.

“But the pitch is huge, and a lot of times it’s you against your man, and you never know what can happen. But in the end I thought we defended really well, and when it mattered we were there. We did a great job.”

Manchester City defeated a jaded Chelsea to clinch a 2-1 FA Cup semi-final win and book their second final appearance in three years.

Goals from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero put City two goals up after 47 minutes but Demba Ba’s hooked volley midway through the second period guaranteed a riveting finale.

City held firm to end Chelsea’s notable run of seven consecutive FA Cup Wembley wins, including final triumphs in four of the six previous seasons.

Roberto Mancini’s team will be the strong favourites to lift their second cup in three years when they face Wigan Athletic here again in the final on May 11.

It was all City early on as the 2011 winners carried on from where they had left off at Old Trafford six days earlier.

Aguero and Tevez both came close to scoring but, despite their dominance, it was Chelsea who nearly took the lead after 23 minutes.

Costel Pantilimon, who replaced Joe Hart, was left stranded after he had raced out of his goal only to get nowhere near Juan Mata’s free kick, but the Romanian’s blushes were spared when Eden Hazard’s volley was cleared off the line by Vincent Kompany.

Toure was at the heart of City’s best moves and it was the big Ivorian who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after 35 minutes to set up the opening goal.

Spotting a gap, Toure charged forward and then rolled the ball into the path of Tevez, who laid it off to Nasri. The Frenchman was fortunate that his first touch deflected off Cesar Azpilicueta and back to him but he was utterly ruthless at the second attempt, calmly lifting the ball over Petr Cech.

Two minutes into the second period, Gareth Barry was afforded too much space to float a tantalising cross into the area and Aguero, wrestling free of the attention of Ivanovic and Azpilicueta, accepted the invitation with the most precise of headers.

There was not much pace on either Barry’s cross or Aguero’s finish, but the Argentine’s effort was so devastatingly accurate that Cech barely moved a muscle.

Bizarrely, Rafa Benitez waited 16 minutes before introducing Fernando Torres and throwing caution to the wind. It paid immediate dividends.

With two forwards to contend with, City failed to deal with a hopeful long ball and Ba, in a manner reminiscent of his brilliant winner in the quarter-final replay against Manchester United 13 days previously, hooked a splendidly acrobatic volley past Pantimilon.

Suddenly, the comeback was on and City were rocked. Pantilimon was not exactly radiating authority but he did brilliantly block another effort from Ba and then to claw away the ball from Mata just as the Spaniard was about to pull the trigger in the penalty area.

With 10 minutes left, Toure almost made the game safe for City but he shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

Aguero was then fortunate to avoid a red card after he appeared to launch into a two-footed lunge on a prone David Luiz.

Referee Chris Foy failed to spot the incident, and he was again in Chelsea’s bad books two minutes from time when Kompany pulled the shirt of Torres as the Spaniard bore down on goal.

FA Cup title would be a good way to make a bad season a little bit better, and no doubt the team that win this semi-final clash will be the favourites in the final. Manchester City go into the game in better spirits having beaten United at Old Trafford, but Chelsea will also feel confidence ahead of the crunch tie at Wembley in spite of losing to Rubin Kazan in midweek.

Chelsea might just be able to save this season if they can go all the way in the FA Cup and Europa League, but it is not as if they are favourites to win either of the two competitions. The Blues have been showing some promise of late, with everybody at the club delighted to see Fernando Torres scoring again, but it might be important to note that Rafa Benitez’s side are winless in last four away fixtures, losing three of those, which could be a cause for concern as they prepare for the short trip to Wembley. The Spanish manager surprisingly used both Ramires and Lampard from the start in Kazan, which could mean that one of them is likely to be left out of the side for the City clash. Benitez should, nonetheless, have plenty of fresh players returning to the side, with Ivanovic, Mata, Oscar and Hazard among those likely to be recalled. Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill continue to miss out, but Demba Ba and Ryan Bertran have recovered from their respective ailments. As things stand now, Benitez could field the same side that started the Sunderland match last weekend, meaning that Frank Lampard might have to settle for a place on the bench.

Even if numerous pundits are keen to point out that City chiefs have no reason to sack Roberto Mancini, I just don’t see the reasoning behind such thinking. The Italian manager has once again splashed the cash on new players, while all the key footballers remained in the summer, and yet his team have failed in almost every competition this term. Not even the 2-1 victory at Old Trafford will mean much given that City are trailing their arch rivals by 12 points, while the bottom-place finish in their Champions League group, no matter how strong it was, has got to be considered a major failure. I seriously doubt the FA Cup title would make this season much better for the Citizens, but they obviously plan to give their best to try and avoid a trophyless campaign. The weekend’s triumph at Old Trafford could be just the boost the team need to produce a solid display against Chelsea, although a lot will be riding on whether David Silva can prove his fitness. The Spaniard is a major doubt with a hamstring problem, while Douglas Maicon, Micah Richards and Jack Rodwell are not yet ready to return.

Conclusion

Having failed to score a goal against Manchester City this season, Chelsea might have to work hard to avoid another poor attacking display, while City are likely to miss the creativity of one David Silva. With both sides under pressure due to the importance of the match, there is a good chance we will see an uneventful encounter at Wembley.

Verdict: Under 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 1/1

Bookmaker: BetVictor

Wigan Athletic produced an assured performance at Wembley to reach their first FA Cup final courtesy of a 2-0 semi-final victory on Saturday.

Shaun Maloney gave Wigan a deserved lead mid-way through the first half after sliding in to convert a curling cross from Arouna Kone.

And despite a spirited second-half showing from Championship side Millwall, Callum McManaman doubled their lead to seal the result after 78 minutes.

Andy Keogh got the ball rolling inside the first minute, rising above Antolin Alcaraz to direct a glancing header at Ali Al-Habsi’s goal.

McManaman was next to come close as the Wigan forward stung the palms of David Forde from range.

But there was nothing Forde could do to stop Maloney 20 minutes later as the Scotland international reacted superbly to a pinpoint cross from Kone to give his side into the lead.

The Ivorian was sensational in the build-up, picking the ball up inside the Millwall half and surging forward to pick his teammate out with supreme precision. Maloney was on the stretch inside the danger area but produced a fine finish to give Wigan the lead they deserved.

Minutes later, Scharner drew the Millwall keeper into action once again and the signs were worrying for the Championship side.

The Lions kept things tight until the break, however, despite Jordi Gomez coming close late in the half and Wigan enjoying a remarkable 72% of possession in spells.

More was needed from Kenny Jackett’s side as a squad bereft of form looked overwhelmed by the occasion and offered very little going forward.

But no immediate improvement came forth and, instead, Wigan continued to press.

McManaman threatened once more on the 50-minute mark, cutting in from the left and curling an effort just past the far post.

Millwall enjoyed their best chance on 58 minutes, though, as Chris Taylor burst forward only to be brought down just outside the Wigan danger area. James – usually a reliable set-piece taker – stepped up to the ball and curled the ensuing free kick just over the bar.

Then, Alan Dunne sent a dangerous low cross into the area and Keogh was denied by a last-ditch tackle.

But on 78 minutes, Wigan made sure – and who else but McManaman to do it. Kone started the move off once again but it was Gomes who slid an incisive pass through to the 21-year-old, who rounded the keeper to finish off in style.

Martinez’s men had completed the job – and a day of destiny now awaits them at Wembley.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero hopes his club can post their third win against Chelsea this season in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.

City overcame Chelsea 3-2 in the Community Shield last August and posted a 2-0 win at Etihad Stadium in their most recent league meeting in February.

The two clubs drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in the league in November, and Aguero is anticipating another tough clash against the London club at Wembley.

“We’ve had three close games against Chelsea already this season and we expect the same again on Sunday,” Aguero told City’s official website.

“We’ll go out looking to win like we did earlier this season when we faced them in the Community Shield and at home in the Premier League – it goes without saying we hope the result is the same this time around.

“I think that Chelsea’s current manager is trying to use a patient approach to open teams up rather than utilise the counter-attack. It’s probably going to be a very open game and the team who keeps their head at the crucial moments will win.”

Even though the game is a semi-final, Aguero believes that the stadium and stature of the competition will make the match feel even more pressurised.

“Wembley is major stadium to play football in and a great stage for players to show what they are capable of,” he said.

“Even though this is a semi-final, which already ensures it will be a thrilling game, it feels more like a final because of what is at stake.

“But there’s no time for regrets. We still have a lot to play for and our number one goal is to win everything we still can. This is a team that never gives up.”

Yaya Toure is eyeing a repeat of Manchester City’s 2011 FA Cup triumph, which saw them beat Stoke City in the final.

English Premier League champions City look set to surrender their title to Manchester United but are hoping to rescue their season by winning the FA Cup, and Toure has underlined their determination to beat Chelsea in Sunday’s semi-final.

The midfielder knows the game against Rafael Benitez’s side will be difficult, but he believes Manchester City have enough quality to overcome the Blues.

“All we can do is do everything in our power to win the game both individually and as a team,” Toure told the official Manchester City website.

“We have a really tough challenge because Chelsea are a very good team and they have some fantastic players and to beat them we will have to be at our very best.

“We were faced with a similar challenge against Manchester United in 2011 and it was because we fought so hard and played really well that we beat them – the same is required on Sunday and we can’t leave the pitch with any regrets.

“I’m very focused on what we have to do and the whole team is and if we win, we will have done so because we deserve it.

“Wembley is a very special place for me and I have some great memories from our last FA Cup run, particularly the semi-final and final for obvious reasons so I hope I can experience more great moments this season.”

Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry says Yaya Toure committing his future to the club has given the squad ‘a lift’.

The Ivorian midfielder recently signed a deal that will keep him at City until 2017, and Barry was delighted to see the 28-year-old extend his stay at the club.

“When a player like him gets a new deal, it is a lift for everyone,” he told reporters. “You don’t want to see players like that leaving. You want others like him coming in.

“When you can keep players like him for another four years, I am sure there will be others coming in, of the same level, to join him.”

Roberto Mancini’s men travel to Wembley on Sunday for their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, and Barry is convinced that whoever triumphs in that game will go on to lift the trophy against either Wigan or Millwall.

“It feels more like a final,” he said. “This is the bigger game of the two and if we can get through it this could be another FA Cup for us.

“I am looking forward to it. You want to be playing big games at this stage of the season, as this is, when they hand out the trophies.”

City go into the game on the back of victory over rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Barry said that while his side were thrilled with the win, there were still some regrets after the match.

“To win at Old Trafford two years in a row sets a good standard for our club,” he said.

“The players were desperate to get three points and we would have been disappointed to get anything else, even a draw.

“To win for a second year running is a fantastic feeling, but there is some frustration that we haven’t played like that more often.

“Even before the game kicked off, our players were thinking that we wished there was a little bit more at stake and the gap was a little bit closer.”