FA Cup Final Preview - Manchester City v Stoke
The FA Cup concludes on Saturday with Manchester City and Stoke. Both sides are looking to end long trophy droughts and City are the short favourties to take home some silverware.
City finally have a chance to justify the huge spending in the transfer market. It would be their first trophy in 35 years and first FA Cup since 1969. They struggled early in the season but Roberto Mancini has this team primed for success at Wembley. They beat Manchester United 1-0 in the semi-finals to make it four clean sheets in their last four FA Cup matches. Carlos Tevez has scored three goals in six FA Cup fixtures, making the Argentine a good bet to score first against Stoke with 4/1 odds at Coral.
Stoke are playing for their first major trophy since the 1972 League Cup and this is their first ever FA Cup final appearance. If City finish in the top four of the Premier League, they should get a Europa League spot. The side is still on point coming off a 3-1 win over Arsenal at the weekend. Jon Walters, who has scored five goals in six FA Cup matches, again made the scoresheet. He has 9/1 odds at Coral to score first for Stoke.
Stoke could be without Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington, who have injury concerns. Huth has scored three goals in five FA Cup fixtures. Stoke beat Bolton 5-0 in the semi-finals to get here, but don’t expect that offensive output again. Six of the last nine FA Cup finals have resulted in under 2.5 goals. And, five of the last six meetings between these two sides have been under 2.5 goals.
Stoke beat the Blues 3-1 in last year’s FA Cup and are unbeaten against them in the last four matches. The series, however, is split at two wins apiece and three draws in the last seven meetings. With two red cards in their last three meetings, tempers could flair again between these sides.
Manchester City v Stoke City Match Odds (supplied by Coral)
Manchester City: 5/6
Draw: 5/2
Stoke City: 10/3