Top v top.

Top of the Premier League versus top of the Championship in the F.A. Cup – should make for a very good game!

v Fulham

Etihad Stadium

Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:

(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game 9/11).

Fluid 4-1-5-0 / 4-6-0 / 4-3-3:

_______________________________________________

 

Sterling______________McAtee______________Mahrez

 

__________Grealish_____________De Bruyne________

 

______________________Rodri____________________

Zinchenko_______________________________Cancelo

 

_____________Ake_______________Stones_________

 

 

_____________________Steffen___________________

Subs: Carson, Wilson-Esbrand, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Foden, Silva.

9 on the bench, as is the case in the Premier League, but with 5 subs allowed at this stage of this competition, for the time being at least.

Zack should start in net and I say “should” because his has had an issue with his back recently; a niggle that saw him not travel to join his USA teammates in their World Cup qualifying endeavours. However, he was pictured enjoying himself in training a couple of days ago.

Also seen in training and apparently looking sharp was a returning [from illness and/or injury] Oleksandr and I think we’ll see the Ukrainian start in the left-wing back slot this afternoon. I’m going for Joao on the opposite, defensive flank with Nathan & John in the middle of those.

Rodders has the deeper-lying midfield role and then our usual, fluid, interchangeable 5 includes Raheem, Jack, new contract-signing James, Kevin & Riyad.

Scott is likely to find himself our main back-up keeper tomorrow (although I also have a feeling that despite only returning from Brazil very recently that Ederson might be added to the bench too); new contract-signing Josh, Kyle, Ruben & Aymeric make up the defensive replacement options in ‘the 9’. Fernandinho, Ilkay, Phil & Bernardo are the midfield / wing / attacking choices on the side.

Additional thoughts:

With Walker suspended for 3 up & coming Champions League games, I think Pep might use this opportunity for Joao to refamiliarise himself with his more-traditional right-wing back role and give Oleks a much-needed run on the left too.

Our manager may see this as a chance also for Jack & Raheem to put horrible performances v Southampton behind them and I’m sure he’d agree with most Blues in that Riyad needs a game following his country's very early exit from the AFCON.

Having said all of THAT, this is the F.A. Cup…and this is Pep Guardiola we’re talking about – he could well go with his strongest available 11 and ‘bench’ 4 or 5 of those that I’ve suggested in the starting 11; hope to ‘put the tie to bed’ in the first 60 minutes or so and then bring on some of those players who, generally speaking, see fewer minutes. Of course, we’ll know all of that when the team sheet comes out at 2:00pm (GMT)…

Notable absences:

-       Ederson – Not selected / rested (or should that be resting after a very recent, long flight or two?).

-       Benjamin Mendy – Suspended by the club until further notice.

-       Cole Palmer – Has still not trained following a small issue that he picked up the other week in the F.A Cup and will continue to be assessed over the next couple of weeks.

-       Gabriel Jesus – Has come back from international duty with a minor, niggly issue. Unknown return date but doesn’t sound like he’ll be out for too long.

Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?

There’s a little bit of me that looks at the left side of our defence in that anticipated line-up against a team who have shown, this season, that they most-certainly know where the net is; and it leaves me with some concerns. Of our 4 central defenders, even someone like me who thinks well of Nathan admits that he’s our 4^th best and, so, putting him next to a player who, let’s have it right, has hardly played a game for most of the season so far, could be a little risky. I might be tempted, therefore, to go with Laporte on the left-side of centre.

Something also rankles with me a little seeing Jack – a player who not only had an awful game last time out but who, for me, is on a season rating of 5/10 so far – get ahead of more-deserved players. However, I get the reason (as stated above) why he might be ‘in there’ from the start.

Other than that, it’s a nicely balanced side and gives ‘game time’ to some players who need it; without necessarily weakening the side too much, which we should definitely avoid doing against the Championship league leaders.

There’s very strong ‘reserve ammo’ on our bench too.

Result? With 28 goals to his name so far this season, putting him a whopping 19 goals ahead of his nearest, goalscoring teammate; there’s no doubt who their main threat is. Aleksandar Mitrovic has 7 assists to his name too.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

But he’s far from being the only attacking player we need to be wary of – 24-year-old, Welsh winger, Harry Wilson has 10 goals and 9 assists in 25 games played and holds an impressive 82% passing accuracy record. 5’ 7”, French attacking midfielder, Neeskens Kebano has also ‘pitched in’ with 8 goals and 6 assists in 29 games; whilst 2 others have 6 goals-a-piece.

Fulham are a side who are undefeated in their last 6 games; a run that’s seen them hit two teams for 6 as well as registering a 7-0’er away from home. In those 6 games, they’ve netted 24 times and have conceded 7.

As impressive as their attacking stats are, it’s that ‘against column’ that should be of interest too.

7 conceded in those last 6 games almost perfectly mirrors their league season stats of 26 leaked in 28 games – on average, they’re letting in around a goal every game and that’s something we can most-definitely exploit if we’re wearing our ‘shooting boots’ (most Blues should recognise what I’m referring to there; in that we have games where we misfire a heck of a lot despite our incredible creativity and number of chances we give ourselves).

I think they’ll definitely come to ‘have a pop at us’ and I’m sure they’re in confident mood that they can find the back of our net AND, perhaps, cause a cup upset.

I often think that we can look a little rusty after an international break and with the possibility of some fringe players starting too; that adds an extra layer of uncertainty, for me at least.

However, I’m sure both Pep and the players will want to improve on the Southampton performance and result (even though Pep sounded utterly defiant after that game that both Jack Grealish and the whole team played well) and whether we choose something like that starting 11 or ‘go stronger’; I think we’ll prevail by the end of the match (there’s no replay from ‘Round 4’).

They may well ‘breach our defences’ but I think we’ll score more - it’s a City win for me.

Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result…

Prediction: N/A

Result: N/A

 

Expected weather conditions during the game: Brief, sunny intervals are separated by sharp, blustery showers. 8C is the official temperature but with a fairly strong, south-westerly breeze and a damp feel to say the very least; it’s gonna feel a lot cooler in the stands, I’m sure. On the pitch, it’s the kind of weather our lads will be a little more used to than our opponents from West London, I would suggest.