PartialLogo
FA Cup

Didi Hamann: Manchester City may not have it all their own way against Watford

FA Cup final could be closer than expected

Andre Gray (left) and Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrate Watford’s FA Cup semi-final win
Andre Gray (left) and Abdoulaye Doucoure celebrate Watford’s FA Cup semi-final winCredit: Dan Mullan

Manchester City capped a magnificent Premier League season last Sunday by clinching the title and they are now on the verge of an incredible domestic treble – but that does not make them 1-4 shots against Watford in the FA Cup final.

I’m sure if this was a run-of-the-mill league game on neutral territory you wouldn’t be seeing anything like that sort of price about Pep Guardiola’s newly-crowned champions.

And while there is a gulf between City and Watford, it’s not that big.

We look at City and we see a team who seem unbeatable because of this incredible run they have been on.

City registered 14 straight league wins over the past three months, a run they had to do because Liverpool weren’t backing down.

Even last Sunday, when most thought clinching the title would be a procession, City had to come from behind at Brighton and they eventually did it in style.

They are an unbelievably good team – but that doesn’t make them certainties to win the FA Cup and it doesn’t make them 1-4 shots over 90 minutes.

Watford are a decent side who, as long as they can deal with the occasion, should give a good account for themselves.

I remember when I played in my first FA Cup final, for Newcastle against Manchester United at Wembley in 1999. I was getting calls in the week before the match from people saying ‘make sure you enjoy the occasion’.

And it is an occasion. The FA Cup means so much to so many people in this country that being part of the final is special.

As it transpired it wasn’t the occasion that beat us, simply an exceptional Manchester United side who went on to complete a treble of their own a few days later.

In fact, when I’m looking at this match compared to games I played in, my mind goes back instead to the 2001 League Cup final for Liverpool against Birmingham.

We were a good side with Stevie Gerrard and Robbie Fowler and were overwhelming favourites to beat a Birmingham team who weren’t even in the Premier League. Yet we were a controversial penalty call away from losing the match and finally won it in a shootout.

Birmingham had given their all to stop us playing and that’s what Watford will endeavour to do against City.

They’ve got an understated midfield pairing in Abdoulaye Doucoure and Etienne Capoue who give wonderful protection to Watford’s back four and they’ll make themselves hard to break down.

At the other end there is the obvious threat from Troy Deeney and a potential matchwinner in Gerard Deulofeu.

What City have done this season has been remarkable and they’ve put so much into fending off Liverpool in the title race. Last Sunday they completed that job with the last of a succession of matches which will have taken an awful lot out of them.

I’m not convinced they will manage to produce the same intensity after a few days off.

If City win it could be close, quite possibly by one goal, maybe even after extra-time – and they aren’t certainties in my book.

Bayern Munich likely to win Bundesliga title on the line

It has gone down to the wire in Germany as well with a last-day shootout to determine whether Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund are crowned champions.

Neither have easy matches – Bayern are at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, who have had a brilliant season and are chasing a European place, while Dortmund are at Gladbach, who are after a Champions League berth.

Of course Munich against Frankfurt means Niko Kovac needing to see off his former club and they should, with Frankfurt looking to have run out of steam.

The question mark is the pressure Kovac is under with internet speculation, picked up by respected German media, that Kovac is on his way out. He has been hugely dignified all season despite having to deal with endless speculation about his future.

On paper it’s a done deal for Munich and Dortmund certainly won’t find it easy at Gladbach. But, as we’ve seen in football around Europe over the last few weeks, there isn’t really such a thing as a done deal.


Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport

Published on 17 May 2019inFA Cup

Last updated 16:20, 17 May 2019

iconCopy