Friday 10 May 2013 13:09, UK
For most, this weekend's FA Cup final looks to be a case of by what margin Manchester City will win by rather than whether they will lift the trophy.
For most, this weekend's FA Cup final looks to be a case of by what margin Manchester City will win by rather than whether they will lift the trophy. It's difficult to make a case to the contrary, so I'm following the masses with a search for value from backing Roberto Mancini's men. The overbearing stat is City's commanding record against their opponents of late, having won all of their last seven meetings without conceding a single goal. That trend is supported by the fact that 15 of the last 19 FA Cup finals have seen just one side scoring, with a significant majority of winning teams being the pre-match favourites. Therefore, backing City to win to nil at 5/4 looks a cracking bet in comparison to simply getting on the 1/3 for them to triumph in normal time, while a repeat of their 1-0 win here against Stoke two years ago offers extra value at 13/2, especially given that has been the scoreline in three of their last five wins over the Latics. Best bet: Manchester City to win to nil - 5/4
