Indonesia
South Africa

Man Cityvs.Man Utd

sportsmole.co.uk, 24 May 2024, 10:52
Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is set to start between the sticks for Saturday's FA Cup final showdown against rivals Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

Ortega has had to play second fiddle to first-choice shot-stopper Ederson ever since he arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2022, but he is a regular in the cup competitions for Pep Guardiola and is seemingly a guaranteed starter now that Ederson is ruled out with a fractured eye socket.

Captain Kyle Walker had the honour of lifting Man City's record fourth successive Premier League title last weekend after the Citizens beat West Ham United 3-1 on Sunday, and he is expected to keep his spot at right-back, potentially joining Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol in a four-man defence.

Star midfielder Rodri, who holds the record for the longest unbeaten run (74 games) in club football history, is expected to continue in the middle of the pitch and could be joined by Mateo Kovacic if Guardiola opts to begin with an extra midfield body.

The Catalan coach began the win over West Ham with Jeremy Doku on the left flank, and although he impressed against the Hatters and could keep his place against Man United, his starting spot may come under threat from Kovacic, and his inclusion would likely see Player of the Season Phil Foden - who has scored six goals in his last four starts against the Red Devils - operate out wide.

Kevin De Bruyne could therefore continue in the number 10 role, with Foden at times drifting into a central position to link up with the Belgian, while Bernardo Silva - who has scored all three of City's goals in their last two FA Cup ties en route to the final - is set to play on the right side of attack.

Few will be surprised to see leading marksman Erling Haaland lead the line for the Citizens; the Norwegian has scored 38 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions this season, including five strikes in just two FA Cup outings - all scored in a 6-2 win at Luton in the fifth round. Haaland is just one goal behind Ellis Simms and Sammie Szmodics (both six) in the race for the FA Cup Golden Boot.

Manchester City possible starting lineup: Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland

Top News

5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Kasimpasa vs. Gaziantep (Sunday, 10.30am) Kasimpasa will look to add more wins to their current unbeaten run when they host Gaziantep at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadyumu on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Santa Clara vs. Farense (Sunday, 3.30pm) High-flying Santa Clara welcome relegation-threatened SC Farense in gameweek 17 of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga season on Sunday at the Estadio de Sao Miguel. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Monza vs. Cagliari (Sunday, 11.30am) After both ended 2024 with four straight Serie A defeats, relegation rivals Monza and Cagliari will vie for victory in their year-opening fixture on Sunday. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Lens vs. Toulouse (Sunday, 2.00pm) Two sides in the hunt for a place in Europe next season resume their Ligue 1 campaigns on Sunday as Lens host Toulouse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Hibernian vs. Rangers (Sunday, 12.00pm) Rangers will aim to build on their superb 3-0 victory in the Old Firm Derby as they head to Easter Road Stadium on Sunday to face an in-form Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have agreed to recall Stefan Bajcetic from his loan at Red Bull Salzburg and send him back out in January, with Real Betis heavily linked to the midfielder. 5 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Queens Park Rangers will look to claim a second straight victory when they welcome Luton Town to Loftus Road for Monday's Championship clash. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's pursuit of left-back Julio Soler appears to have ended in failure, with Bournemouth reportedly in advanced talks with Argentine club Lanus for his signature this winter. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly tabled an enormous £78m contract to Trent Alexander-Arnold in an attempt to stop the defender joining Real Madrid for free in the summer. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Matheus Cunha is set to sign a new long-term contract at Wolves, talkSPORT understands. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Tottenham and Newcastle kicked off a thrilling day of Premier League action, but Brentford and Bournemouth did their best to steal the headlines. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Arsenal are facing another injury scare after Ethan Nwaneri was brought off at half-time against Brighton. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Arsenal were pegged back in their quest to catch up with Premier League leaders Liverpool following a 1-1 draw at Brighton. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that he was forced to bring Ethan Nwaneri off at half time in their 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion due to injury. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool could make a statement to the rest of the Premier League should they heavily beat Ruben Amorim's deflated Manchester United side, according to Reds experts David Lynch. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona eased their way into the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey on Saturday evening courtesy of a 4-0 success over fourth-tier outfit Barbastro at Estadio Municipal de Deportes de Barbastro. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal missed the chance to move to within three points of Premier League leaders Liverpool as a spirited Brighton & Hove Albion held them to a 1-1 draw at the Amex Stadium. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City defender Issa Kabore is reportedly on the verge of joining a Bundesliga club on loan for the rest of the season. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Ethan Nwaneri has joined an exclusive club with his latest Arsenal goal. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has set a new Premier League managerial record after his Manchester City side battled to a 4-1 win over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal phenom Ethan Nwaneri has written a new page of Gunners history thanks to his opening goal in the Gunners' Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Liverpool are set to recall Stefan Bajcetic from his loan at Red Bull Salzburg. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly suffered a setback in their attempts to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, who could instead be part of a sensational swap deal with an Aston Villa striker. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly made a £23m offer for Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis, with the Seagulls looking to beat a number of major clubs to the teenager's signature. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly running the rule over teenage Sheffield United striker Ryan One amid continued uncertainty over the future of Darwin Nunez. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Mikel Arteta has explained why Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli are not in his Arsenal starting XI against Brighton. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Erling Haaland has extended his stunning scoring record against West Ham. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth emerged as 1-0 victors against Sean Dyche's Everton at home on Saturday afternoon in their first Premier League game of 2025, and continued their push for European football. 4 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with Unai Emery's side battling their way to a 2-1 home success over relegation-threatened Leicester City. 4 January 2025 talksport.com Manchester United's tough run of fixtures continues this weekend as they travel to take on table toppers, Liverpool.