Manchester City will travel to Huddersfield as they look to make their way into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. City have bounced back in recent weeks in the League and sit in the 2nd spot, separated by 8 points with Chelsea. Pep Guardiola is looking more in control and the players are finding it easier to follow his blueprint now. The performances are bringing the result and they have looked sharper and more effective in recent weeks. While Gabriel Jesus’s injury has indeed come as a rude shock for them, Sergio Aguero should make sure that they don’t miss the Brazilian’s services too much.
Huddersfield, on the other hand, are having a good run in the Championship and are in a realistic position to contest in the playoffs at the end of the season. David Wagner has employed a high-pressing tactic in sync with his footballing guru Jurgen Klopp and that has paid dividends till now. They will be entering the contest with nothing to lose and Guardiola knows how difficult things might become against a quality opposition who will play without fear.
TRIVIA
- The clubs last met 17 years ago to the day in a 1-1 draw in the second tier of English football.
- Their most recent meeting in the FA Cup was in the third round in 1988 when it took two replays for City to progress.
- City also won the only other previous FA Cup meeting – in the fourth round back in 1925-26.
- Huddersfield have won their last six matches in all competitions and they are unbeaten in seven home games (W6, D1).
- Like Manchester City, Huddersfield have scored eight goals without conceding any so far in this season’s FA Cup.
- City have won their last four matches in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and conceding just one.
- They have also won their last three away matches in all competitions.
- City have kept clean sheets in four of their last five away matches – but they were thumped 4-0 at Everton in the other.
- Despite being drawn away at Premier League teams (West Ham and Crystal Palace) in the two previous rounds, City have scored eight goals and conceded none in this season’s FA Cup.
TEAM NEWS & PREDICTED LINE-UP
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (4-2-3-1)
Huddersfield will be without Aaron Mooy, who is ineligible against his parent club. Fellow midfielders Jonathan Hogg and Kasey Palmer are also both out with hamstring injuries.
Ward; Holmes-Dennis, Hefele, Schindler, Smith; Billing, Whitehead; Lolley, Brown, Kachunga; Quaner
MANCHESTER CITY (4-1-4-1)
Man City manager Pep Guardiola could rotate his squad ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Monaco. City will definitely be without Gabriel Jesus, who has a broken metatarsal so top scorer Sergio Aguero could start for the first time in four matches.
Bravo; Zabaleta, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernando; Delph, De Bruyne, Navas, Nolito; Iheanacho
BETTING ODDS
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN- 7/1
DRAW- 17/4
MANCHESTER CITY- 2/5
TRIVIA COURTESY- OPTA
