Some players rested for this one, some return having been rested in midweek and a couple are likely to ‘come in from the cold’ 🥶 for this F.A. Cup 5th round clash.
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| Etihad Stadium |
Predicted line-up, subs and outcome:
(Number correct from the starting line-up in the last game: 8/11).
A very fluid 4-1-4-1 / 4-5-1 / 4-3-3:
___________________Marmoush__________________
Grealish___________________________________Silva
__________De Bruyne___________Foden___________
____________________Gonzalez___________________
Gvardiol___________________________________Lewis
_____________Ake_______________Khusanov_______
_____________________Ortega____________________
Subs: Ederson, Dias, Reis, Kovacic, Gundogan, McAtee, Nunes, Savinho and Haaland.
Stefan steps in between the posts for this domestic cup game.
I can see Nathan getting a run out here and, if so, fingers crossed that he comes through it unscathed because a fit ‘n’ firing Ake definitely benefits the team, in my opinion. With so many game minutes under his fledgling City career belt already, I can imagine Pep wanting Uzbek international, Abdukodir, to continue his growing momentum and understanding of footballing life in England. Should he start, I can see him getting the first 45 to 60 minutes before, hopefully, being in a position to be rested before our next, very important and difficult league clash. Either side of those I think we’ll see Josko and Rico, although I can imagine the Croatian international would benefit from a bit of respite himself around about now. Perhaps we’ll see an EDS player on the left of defence instead, although they were in action last night against Chelsea. 🤷♂️
Gonzalez to ‘go again’ too? I’d say so – he’s clearly a determined [to be involved as much a possible] character, having expressed to his manager just last Wednesday how disappointed he was to have been substituted on 74 minutes in North London.
Ahead of the very keen 23-year-old is our now-‘second string’ midfield (I’m jokin’!) of Jack, Kev, Phil and Bernardo.
Omar up top.
Ederson takes a seat as back-up goalie; Ruben and Vitor, the latter of whom might see some minutes this evening, make up two defenders in ‘the 9’. >>>
Notable absences:
- John Stones – Out with a thigh injury for 7-½ to 9-½ weeks, going off the initial assessment and information given.
- Manuel Akanji – Possibly out for the rest of the season after badly damaging his abductor muscle, for which he had surgery on 15th February. Best case scenario is that he could be back around the end of April / beginning of May.
- Rodri – Out for the season with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. Surgery was completed months ago and the slow road to recovery continues.
- Jeremy Doku – I’m thinking…prone to a few injuries (three spells out totalling 2 months) and appears to be coming into some form. I’m guessing that he’ll be rested / protected ahead of our league game next Saturday.
- Oscar Bobb – Struggling with niggles, mainly in the ankle and metatarsal areas, as he makes his long comeback from a fractured leg that he suffered last August. In an update on 25th February, his manager informed us that after speaking with the club doctors he was feeling much better. It is hoped that the Norwegian international will be involved in the final part of the season which, of course, isn’t that far away now.
NOTE: As I get ready to post this, it's being suggested in the media that Jack Grealish may not be 100% fit to start or even take part. This despite the fact that the England international has been on the bench for our last three fixtures, meaning he must have been training in order to be part of the matchday squad.
Should he be missing, I think we'll see Savinho start over on the left and a place on the bench then becomes available for Jeremy Doku.
Do I agree with Pep’s (predicted) line-up?
Yep.
Result?
We faced a Spurs’ side last Wednesday who had discovered some league form and we face similar once again when we host Argyle later today. Since their new manager signed a 3-½ year contract on 10th January, they’ve managed to drag themselves off the bottom of the Championship and their last six league results shows how they’ve achieved that: D W W L D D.
Oh yeah…and they knocked Liverpool out of the last round in order to set up this interesting tie. In fact, in rounds 3 and 4 they have yet to concede a goal; dispatching both Premier League sides Brentford away and the Merseysiders at home 1-0. Both matches were, in fact, under the watchful eye of their new manager; the first from the stands just after he had arrived and the second from the dugout.
Plymouth Argyle at home? That should be no problem, I’m guessing a lot of Blues thought when the draw was made. My reaction was that I’m glad our ball was pulled out first, so I must have had a small percentage of concern in the back of my mind. Now, having researched their 2025 form, that percentage of apprehension has risen ever so slightly, I have to be honest and say.
As for us? It was a crackin’ win at a tough place for us last Wednesday night but Christ did we make it difficult for ourselves once again in the second half! As Noel Gallagher said when interviewed in the stands at half time, “…we couldn’t finish our dinner at the minute”. That accurate assessment came moments after he said that the first half was probably about one of the best performances of the season. Doesn’t that just sum us up at the moment?
Missed opportunities, players being asked to cover in positions not natural to them; a lack of end product during attacking opportunities and, so I noticed again, some dithering on the ball and bad decisions / passes were ALL evident at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, with the aid of some missed chances from the home side in the second half, especially late on, we somehow came away with all-3, very vital points. 😰👍
So…AT home you would think that we’d get past The Pilgrims but we’re only going to do that if we improve our final pass(es) and take our chances because with the silly little midfield and defensive errors that continue to plague us; if we don’t hurt them they will hurt us.
Am I going for a scary Plymouth goal to raise eyebrows and start the City nerves jangling? You bet I am. Am I going to see past that and predict a home win and progression to the quarter finals? Yes I am. It’s a ‘goals-at-both-ends’, City win.
It should be a very good atmosphere with the South-coast side brining around 8,000 Green Army / Janner supporters.
Last season’s, corresponding pre-match prediction and result:
Prediction: N/A
Result: N/A
Expected weather conditions during the game: Sunny skies just before the match turns into starry skies as the sun sets for this 5:45pm (GMT) kick-off. 6 or 7C is the match temperature and with the air calm and still, the atmosphere really will have a cool-crips, slight-winter feel to it. Perfect for an English F.A. Cup match. 🧥🧣☕🥧🍺⚽🏆
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| Solidarity...now more than ever! |
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