Allen Hamilton
What: FA Cup Final
Who: Manchester City vs Stoke City
When: Saturday 14th May, 2011, at 15:00 UK time
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Return On Investment
Since the Sheikh Mansour era began, Manchester City has splashed the cash in a free-flowing manner. Overpaying for players simply because the selling club knew the resources at their disposal, City followed a route that had been well trodden by Chelsea less than a decade ago. And the intention is and always has been clear: City must break the habit of a lifetime and win trophies on a regular basis. Nothing less will do for their Middle Eastern owners – and why should it given the riches lavished on Eastlands.
All cycles of success and domination have a starting point. Just ten years ago Gerard Houllier led Liverpool to the League Cup. The victory was scrappy – on penalties against Birmingham City – but it kicked off the surge to another two trophies. Chelsea, coming to terms with the massive investment provided by Roman Abramovich, too started with the League Cup – Jose Mourinho lifting silverware which beckoned forth a spell of success. While the FA Cup can be sneered at by city neighbours and Champions League finalists Manchester United, City must start somewhere, andthe FA Cup could well be the catalyst for even greater things.
But City boss Roberto Mancini is not taking victory for granted, though the Citizens will start at Wembley as big favourites. Stoke, the Italian argues, will in some ways be a tougher proposition than rivals United were in the semi-final.
"Saturday will be harder than United", said the ex-Inter coach. "Stoke are a strong team and a very difficult team. If we want to win we need to play very well. We should pay attention in every situation. We cannot concede anything. To think Stoke are an easy team would be a mistake."
Happy to Be Written Off
The Potters come into this FA Cup final happy to be labelled underdogs. It is a tag that Stoke City have flourished under ever since gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008. With a stated aim of four seasons of stability in England’s top flight before feeling financially secure, Tony Pulis’ side have the icing on the cake of another respectable – and possibly top ten – campaign with an FA Cup final berth.
And Stoke are not heading south to make up the numbers, with Pulis’ men truly believing they can spring a surprise and lift the cup. With a style of play that, albeit evolving into more expansionary play, is still dependent on physical power and set-piece delivery, the Potters have the weapons to make City’s afternoon an uncomfortable one. To dismiss Stoke as route one would be a mistake however, with some slick wing-inspired play simply tearing Bolton Wanderers apart in the semi-final. A 5-0 rout flattered Wanderers – the encounter was that one-sided.
The possible absence of winger Matthew Etherington due to a hamstring injury is a big blow, but Stoke shrugged this off to beat Arsenal 3-1 at the weekend. And Etherington’s partner in wing-crime Jermaine Pennant, believes that the Midlands club do have a good chance of causing a shock.
"If we can continue our current form then we have a great chance", said the former Liverpool man. "It will be difficult again, but anything can happen. We will definitely be underdogs, but we don’t mind that, it’s a bit less pressure. We have nothing to lose. We will play with our hearts on our sleeves and see what happens."
Route to the final:
Manchester City:
Leicester 2-2 Manchester City (09/01)
Manchester City 4-2 Leicester City (18/01)
Notts County 1-1 Manchester City (30/01)
Manchester City 5-0 Notts County (20/02)
Manchester City 3-0 Aston Villa (02/03)
Manchester City 1-0 Reading (13/03)
Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United (16/04)
Stoke City:
Stoke City 1-1 Cardiff City (08/01)
Cardiff City 0-2 Stoke City (18/01)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Stoke City (30/01)
Stoke City 3-0 Brighton (19/02)
Stoke City 2-1 West Ham (13/03)
Bolton Wanderers 0-5 Stoke City (17/04)
Key absences
Manchester City: Carlos Tevez (doubt); Jerome Boateng; Shay Given
Stoke City: Matthew Etherington (doubt); Robert Huth (doubt); Danny Higginbotham; Ricardo Fuller
Players to watch
Manchester City – Nigel de Jong: Not the prettiest or most technically gifted player on the Wembley pitch, De Jong will nevertheless play a crucial role for City in the FA Cup final. The Dutchman will act as Mancini’s midfield destroyer, cementing City’s grip on the all-important middle of the park. With Stoke able to mix it physically with the best of them, De Jong will protect City’s more silky skilled performers.
Stoke City – Jermaine Pennant: Pennant is perhaps the Stoke player best equipped to deal with the occasion of an FA Cup final having played in the 2007 Champions League final. Taken to Liverpool by Rafael Benitez, the Englishman has been highly rated by some of the top bosses in the game. Deadly accurate with his crossing and able to offer the Potters a vital outlet, the winger will be key in any Stoke victory.
Match Prediction
Manchester City are understandably heavy favourites given the quality within their ranks, but a question mark still lingers over their consistency. Stoke should not be affected by the pressure and handled the semi-final against Bolton perfectly. The Potters will prove stern opponents for City and may even get on the scoresheet. However, the extra quality Roberto Mancini can call upon will give the Eastlands outfit the edge. Manchester City 2-1 Stoke City.
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