DATE: 11/05/13
KICK OFF: 17.15pm
VENUE: Wembley Stadium
PREDICTION: 3-1
Preview
Four trophies in three years sounds super.
But in our way stand Wigan, and with Wigan, you never ever know.
On paper, the battle of the Roberto's shows only one winner. The Latics have failed to slay their northern neighbours since 2008 and face a terrifying task on Saturday evening against a side who just love to win at Wembley.
However, Martinez and his posse won't be fazed. The FA Cup has a habit of coughing up ridiculous results, much like Wigan's 3-0 thrashing of Everton in which the 'pie-eaters' demolished Moyes' men in only three minutes.
And Wigan's highly rated boss could be on his way to the very side they bulldozed in the quarter final. With David Moyes being appointed as the new Manchester United manager, the Spaniard is in pole position to fill his shoes on Merseyside. Dave Whelan is resigned to losing his most prized possession and will rue the loss significantly more if his long time partner is to secure Premiership safety AND a trophy.
Desperate to salvage something from their season are Manchester City. Instead of retaining their title, the blues decided to spend nine months perfectly packaging the Premier League crown for their bitter rivals Manchester United and now rely on the FA Cup to somewhat redeem themselves.
As Mancini would say, Saturday is an 'important' day for City and a loss could see the Italian lose his position in summer. Odds have been slashed radically on Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini to replace the Italian, something most City fans will not want to hear. However, with a fully rested squad and a diminishing list of injuries, the 2011 winners are planning on getting their hands on the trophy once again tomorrow evening.
COME ON CITY!
FA Cup runs
FA Cup runs
Manchester City 3 - 0 Watford
Stoke City 0 - 1 Manchester City
Manchester City 4 - 0 Leeds United
Manchester City 5 - 0 Barnsley
Chelsea 1 - 2 Manchester City
Wigan Athletic 1 - 1 Bournemouth (Replay: Bournemouth 0 - 1 Wigan Athletic)
Macclesfield 0 - 1 Wigan Athletic
Huddersfield 1 - 4 Wigan Athletic
Everton 0 - 3 Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic 2 - 0 Millwall
Line-Up
Mancini displayed his dedication to the FA Cup on Tuesday night by making eight changes to his team in their 1-0 win over West Brom.
Costel Pantillimon has been confirmed as the Italian's No.1 choice for Saturday in what is likely to be the Romanian's final game for the blues. The 6 ft 8 stopper has expressed his desire to leave the club after seeing his first team opportunities limited in the Premier League.
In front of him should be the customary back line of PFA Team of the Year right back Pablo Zabaleta, boy wonder Matija Nastasic, captain fantastic Vincent Kompany and speed merchant Gael Clichy.
Jack Rodwell, James Milner and Gareth Barry will all be fighting for places in the holding role, but the oldest of the bunch is the most likely to start. David Silva, Samir Nasri and Wembley loving Yaya Toure will accompany the England international in the midfield.
Despite Edin Dzeko's fine finish against West Brom, the deadly Argentinian duo of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez are likely to start above him.
Head to Head
The two sides have met only twice in the FA Cup, City winning 1-0 on both occasions in 1971 and 2006 respectively.
However, the FA Cup has never seen the northern neighbours collide on such a massive stage with both games being played in round 3 and 4.
City have the history, but does that mean anything in a cup final?
Key Players
Yaya Toure
The big Ivorian loves playing at Wembley and netted the famous winner against Stoke in 2011 to secure City's first ever FA Cup. In recent games, Yaya has often gone missing, however, he may just be saving up for the 'big one'. Let's hope so.
Shaun Maloney
The 30 year old continues to impress with his technical ability and eye for a pass. Without him, the Latics wouldn't find themselves in a cup final and will rely on the Scot to fuel an unlikely victory on Saturday.
Top Scorers
Carlos Tevez
17
Arouna Kone
13
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