“Man City are in their third FA Cup final in eight years”
Even half a century on from Manchester City’s famous 1969 FA Cup final win over Leicester, there are still lessons to be learned from history.
Rather than delve into the dusty archives of Bert Trautmann’s goalkeeping heroics from 1956 despite injury or that Neil Young winner 50 years ago, cautionary tales are there for hot favourites City in more recent times.
All the pressure will be on Pep Guardiola and his Sky Blues as they walk out at Wembley on Saturday, 18 May and play Watford. It’s easy to look at recent matches between Man City and the Hornets and think, what is there to worry about?
City have averaged just less than four goals per game (19) in their last five meetings with Watford, who in turn scored one by way of reply in each of the three battles against the Etihad outfit since the start of 2018.
“Pep Guardiola has won multiple trophies with Man City already”
That is why the Sky Blues are overwhelming odds-on 1/8 favourites in the online betting on this year’s FA Cup final with 888Sport. It’s been 30 years and 15 games in all competitions since the Hornets stung City with defeat, meanwhile, and that explains why they are as big as 5/1 to cause an upset.
It is classic FA Cup stuff in this year’s final – an established heavyweight of English football facing a plucky underdog. Don’t let anyone say romance is dead and Watford’s case is hopeless though, because Man City can and have been beaten in a similar position.
Nobody much gave lowly Wigan Athletic a chance despite a miraculous run to the FA Cup final in 2013. Roberto Martinez employed some unusual tactics that season, using a back three, wingbacks and midfield diamond.
Guardiola’s Catalan cohort, who now coaches the Belgium national team via a stint at Everton, saw his then Wigan side score the most typical of goals. Man City weren’t undone by brilliant football, but stout defending and a set-piece goal.
Even two years earlier when the Sky Blues beat Stoke to lift the FA Cup for the first time in over four decades, they made heavy work of it – needing Yaya Toure to come up with a second-half winner.
The lesson in short is that a cup final is a one-off game. Anything can and will happen, and Javi Gracia’s Hornets haven’t got there by accident. Watford are playing just their second-ever FA Cup final and went down 2-0 to Everton in 1984.
In reaching the business end of the world’s oldest knockout football competition this year, they have knocked three Premier League teams out on route. That is one more then City and includes Wolves, who look sure to finish above the Hornets in the table.
The spirit Watford showed when coming from two goals down to force extra time and ultimately prevail in the semi-final suggests they cannot be counted out. There are some Man City players who particularly lovely playing against them, though.
Raheem Sterling has six goals in as many career appearances against the Hornets, while Sergio Aguero has 10 in seven. Stopping both from doing what comes naturally to them is the test for Gracia and his defence.