Will this be the demolition job we're all expecting?
Will Manchester City canter to another FA Cup final? Can Brighton pull off an almighty shock? All will be revealed on Saturday afternoon, when the two sides clash at Wembley.
City are chasing a historic quadruple, and it’s hard to see Brighton being the side to deny them of such an achievement – The Seagulls lost 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, and put in a performance akin to a side who simply didn’t believe they stood a chance.
Expect a similar story this time around; Albion will park the bus and hope for the best. Even if they headed into this in sparkling form – as supposed to dross we’ve seen recently – I still wouldn’t give them much of a chance, particularly due to an absence of any mercurial match-winners.
We all know what to expect from City by now. Yes, they were fortuitous against Swansea, but Pep won’t let them get complacent again, especially against a Brighton side who will sit there waiting to be beaten.
Looking at where to find value, City to win with a -2 handicap looks like a decent bet. Albion fans will be worried about the ease at which Chelsea brushed them aside on Wednesday, and while City ‘only’ scored twice against Cardiff on the same night, it could’ve been a cricket score if not for poor finishing and Neil Etheridge.
This will be a dull watch, culminating in a simple City victory – and that’s coming from the Albion fan writing this preview. God help us.
Continuing along a similar vein, I have City to be leading after 30 minutes.
Guardiola’s side have scored 30 Premier League goals in the opening half-hour this season – just two fewer than Albion’s total tally – and they’re evens to be ahead after 30 minutes on Saturday.
They just look rampant, and will outclass Brighton in every department.
For a bit of a longshot, I’m backing Raheem Sterling to score two or more goals.
The England man has netted 19 times this season, and has been nothing short of exceptional throughout.
Pep rested him for the midweek game against Cardiff, ensuring he’ll be fit and firing on Saturday.
This may be worth a punt at 9/2.
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