Two of English football’s heavyweights come face to face against each other in the second semi-final of the FA cup on Sunday as 12- time winners Arsenal take on Manchester City at Wembley stadium. Arsenal and Man City will battle it out for a place in the FA Cup final.
Though Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola’s teams have fallen out of the Premier League title race but both teams still have the chance to claim the silverware when they both meet in the second semi-final of the FA cup.
Both the clubs will be determined to win the FA cup tie as their only target now will be to win a trophy this season.
For Arsenal and Manchester City, victory in the FA cup semi-final would give them some reason to celebrate as the season ends, a season that has been afflicted by inconsistency.
Manchester City fans had very lower pre-season expectations as they were aware that Spanish Manager Pep Guardiola needs some time to adjust to the style of football that is played in the Premier League, while there were some huge expectations on Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal but they have failed to fulfil the expectations of the fans and the owners as well.
They both have been left behind on the points table by Chelsea and Tottenham in the Premier League, but both have the chance to get over the Premier League table toppers if they progress to the final. If Guardiola wins the FA in his first season at Manchester City, it will be the start of the silverware city can attain under Guardiola’s spell at Etihad Stadium. The Gunners are seeking what would be their 13th triumph in the competition, moving them ahead of Manchester United in that regard, while city who are also out of the Premier League title race are on course for a sixth success in the competition.
Despite their poor run of form, Arsenal will take confidence from their recent record at Wembley. Since 2014, The Gunners have won all of their six matches at the national stadium including the 2014 and 2015 FA cup finals.
This will be Arsenal’s 29th appearance in the FA cup semi-finals- the most by any team in the history of the competition. They have won the trophy 12 times, which is a joint record with Manchester United who have also won the competition 12 times. The Gunners come into this game on the back of just five wins in their last 13 games in all competitions/
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(D1 L7), with two of those victories coming against the non-league sides, while after a run of four games without a win in all competitions, city have managed to win their last two matches by scoring exactly three times in each of the two victories.
Both teams are competing for the Champions League place in the league table and this tie will prove that who will finish above the other in the league table. It will be interesting to see whether Guardiola can have a trophy to his name in his very first season at Manchester City or will the experience of Arsene Wenger earn him the 13th FA cup title.
