Friday, March 29, 2024

FA Cup Final Preview: Man City v Wigan

SoccerNews in English Premier League 9 May 2013

77 Views

Manchester City will look to win their third trophy in as many years when they battle Wigan in Saturday’s FA Cup Final at Wembley.

The Etihad Stadium outfit broke a 35-year trophy drought with victory over Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup Final, which they followed up with a dramatic final-day Premier League title win last season.

And while City have stagnated in the league in 2012-13, another success would still represent a decent year for Roberto Mancini’s side.

Manchester City’s run to this season’s final has seen them concede just one goal in five matches, with the club barely raising a sweat in easy home wins against Championship sides Watford, Leeds United and Barnsley.

They also won away at Stoke, in the fourth round, before saving their most impressive performance for a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea in the semi-final.

Carlos Tevez has netted five goals in as many FA Cup appearances for City, while Sergio Aguero has scored three times in the competition.

Wigan’s run to the decider has seen them face Premier League opposition just once, while all five of their wins have been on the road.

Slender 1-0 successes against AFC Bournemouth and Macclesfield Town were followed by a 4-1 thrashing of Huddersfield Town.

Roberto Martinez’s side were at their best in a 3-0 win at Everton in the quarter-finals, while goals to Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman saw them beat Millwall 2-0 at Wembley last month.

McManaman and Jordi Gomez have netted three goals each for Wigan in the FA Cup this season.
City will be hopeful that Wigan are distracted by their current plight in the Premier League, with the DW Stadium outfit three points adrift of safety with just two matches to play.

City need just one point from their final two league fixtures to sew up second place on the table, although they will be disappointed at being beaten to the title by rivals Manchester United.

They will be sweating on the fitness of midfield star Yaya Toure (muscle fatigue) while attacker Scott Sinclair (shoulder) has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Wigan defenders Antolin Alcaraz (hamstring), Ivan Ramis (knee), Maynor Figueroa (groin) and Ronnie Stam (leg) will not play in the final, while Jean Beausejour (hamstring) is unlikely to feature either.

The two Premier League meetings between the sides this season have ended in City wins, with Mancini’s men winning 2-0 at the DW Stadium in November before Tevez scored in a 1-0 triumph last month in Manchester.

City have won the last seven clashes against Wigan, who have not beaten Saturday’s opponents since September 2008 when goals from Antonio Valencia and Amr Zaki gave them a 2-1 home triumph.

A repeat of that result on Saturday is unlikely, as a determined City look likely to add to their trophy cabinet again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top