Manchester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion; The FA Cup Semi-Final
Manchester City vs Brighton and Hove Albion. The FA Cup Semi-Final.
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Manchester City vs Brighton preview: Sergio Aguero travels for FA Cup semi-final
Saturday 6 April 2019 23:17, UK
Sergio Aguero has travelled with Manchester City to London as they take on Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Saturday (kick-off 5.30pm).
The striker is "almost fit", according to Pep Guardiola, and he will head south with the squad after missing out in midweek due to a lack of match fitness.
Oleksandr Zinchenko will not feature after picking up an injury against Cardiff on Wednesday, with Benjamin Mendy an option, although he has fallen out of favour despite being fit.
Solly March and Jurgen Locadia face late fitness tests for Brighton. March came off during the first half of Wednesday's 3-0 loss at Chelsea due to a tight calf, while Locadia missed out as a precaution because of a similar issue.
Pascal Gross, who has been unavailable since February 26 with a hamstring injury, will again be absent for Saturday evening's match at Wembley.
Brighton have lost all three of their Premier League meetings against City by an aggregate score of 7-1 and not beaten them for 30 years.
Manager Chris Hughton said: "At this moment, they are one of the best teams in the world - if not the best - with an array of players that are top players.
"And the reason why they are top players is they are not only technically gifted but they're a fit side and they're a very, very motivated side, hence the reason why they are going for all four trophies.
"I think it's foolish to go toe to toe. I'm certainly not embarrassed to say that you have to be able to try and contain them."
Opta facts
This will be the first meeting between Brighton and Manchester City in the FA Cup since January 1983, when the Seagulls won a fourth-round tie en route to their only previous appearance in an FA Cup final.
Brighton have only won one of their last 11 matches with Man City in all competitions (D3 L7), a 2-1 victory back in April 1989 in a second-tier clash.
Manchester City have progressed from 10 of their previous 13 FA Cup semi-final appearances, including eight of the last nine. The Citizens have never lost back-to-back semi-finals in the competition.
Brighton are winless in their four previous matches at Wembley Stadium (D1 L3); should they fail to win, they will become just the fifth different side to win on none of their first five visits to the stadium in all competitions (Brentford, Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Shrewsbury Town).
Manchester City have scored more FA Cup goals in 2018-19 than any other side (19). Indeed, they are looking to become the first side to score at least 20 times within a single campaign since Chelsea back in 2011-12 (20), and the first time the club has done so since 1980-81 (20).
This will be Manchester City's fourth match at Wembley in 2018-19 (W2 D1). Along with Chelsea (4) and Spurs (19), this will be the first time ever that three different club sides will play at least four games at the stadium within a single campaign.
Man City have had nine different goalscorers in the FA Cup this season, last having 10 different players net at least once for them in the competition back in 2010-11, when they last lifted the trophy at Wembley.
Merson's prediction
Who can rest the kind of players that Manchester City did in midweek and breeze through?
The problem with City is that they are in a nervous situation. It only takes one mistake, one bad refereeing decision and it's gone. Any mistake and that's it. It all depends on how they handle the pressure.
They are sort of trying to take their foot off the gas when they are 2-0 up against Cardiff. In November, December or January that would have been six or seven. They are starting to save themselves for bigger games.
Brighton got beaten by Southampton last weekend and then well beaten by Chelsea. I can't see anything but a City win.
MERSE PREDICTS: 3-0
