Cup fever!

It’ll be cold, wet ‘n’ windy tomorrow evening and so let’s hope for a packed house and a blisteringly-hot reception for The Toffees from the home crowd.

 

90+ minutes away from Wembley – let’s hope the players are up for this one too and can ‘turn on the style’ we all know they are capable of…

 

v Everton

 

Straight to it with a predicted line-up, subs and the all-important outcome…

4-1-4-1:

____________________Aguero____________________

Sterling______Toure_________Fernandinho____Silva

_____________________Delph____________________

Clichy__________________________________Zabaleta

___________Demichelis______Otamendi____________

____________________Caballero___________________

Subs: Hart, Sagna, Adarabioyo, Fernando, Navas, De Bruyne, Iheanacho.

Having already stated before the last leg that he would do this; Willy to replace Joe in net for the League Cup.

Gael & Martin forced to ‘go again’, unless our manager chooses an EDS player or two...or Bacary [to go again also] to perhaps 'fill in' in the centre of defence. Nicholas to continue to be our main hope in the heart of our back-4 and Pablo likely to start this one on the right.

Having played most of the game just 4-days earlier, I suppose our manager may choose not to start Fabian. But I’m going for the England man to be our main (only?) defensive midfielder to start, at least. Ahead of him in this ‘must score game’ is likely to be 4, largely attack-minded midfielders / wingers in the form of Raheem, Yaya (hopefully more advanced tomorrow night that he was at the weekend), Fernandinho (for much-missed, extra impetus) and David.

Sergio on his own again ‘up top’, albeit with more attacking support behind him [than against West Ham].

Joe having a rare ‘bench spot’ [can’t imagine it being Richard Wright for this one], Bacary & our EDS’s Tosin likely to be the two defensive back-ups. Fernando is a probable bench starter (he might start); Jesus, Kevin & Kelechi the pace, creativity & goal-threat insurance (but don’t leave it too late Manuel if needed!)

Notable absences: Aleksandar Kolarov (injured), Vincent Kompany (injured), Eliaquim Mangala (injured), Samir Nasri (injured) and Wilfried Bony (injured).

Result? For a couple of days - following last Saturdays scraped, 2-2 draw - I could not drag myself out of a feeling of a draw on the night and, therefore, elimination at the very last hurdle of this competition. Now call it pre-match excitement, call it blind, City optimism or call it just plain foolishness…but I’m going for our players to ‘step up’ for this one.

With the crowd behind them – and I think they’ll ‘step up’ too – I can see this being a home win…and possibly a scoreline that won’t require extra time.