Manchester City v Birmingham City - FA Cup 3rd Round KO-13:30 Sunday 10th January 2021 - Preview and MDT | Vital Football

Manchester City v Birmingham City - FA Cup 3rd Round KO-13:30 Sunday 10th January 2021 - Preview and MDT

Buzz Lightyear

Alert Team
"When City play well, you have to play very well" Oily
The game is afoot, We have reached our 4th League Cup Final in a row and whilst I could wander off, I shall return to the subject of the preview, the Opponents in City's 3rd Round tie of the World's most famous domestic trophy, who beaten by City 3-1 in the 1956 Final at Wembley in which City's legendary Goalkeeper broke his neck but managed to finish the game.
Aitor Karanka’s Birmingham have endured a frustrating first half to the campaign and currently lie in 18th place in the Championship. He has been quoted as saying they are coming to the Etihad to have a go. We shall see if they have also brought the bus.
Manchester City on their official site mancity.com will have the pre-game show We Are Not Really Here (WNRH# if tweeting) They’ll be joined in the studio at the Etihad Stadium by presenter Natalie Paweleck and will be providing their expert analysis before kick-off, at half-time and after the full-time whistle. Andy Morrison and Richard Dunne are the special guests on our live matchday show for this game.

City Team News
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that barring any issues in training Sergio Aguero is likely to start Sunday's game.
However the boss stated he would see how Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus train before deciding whether they could start in Sunday's clash with Birmingham.
City will also monitor the fitness of Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte who were both ruled out of our Carabao Cup win at Manchester United.
Ederson, Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle could also return to training on Saturday if they provide a negative COVID-19 test.
Cole Palmer and Scott Carson will both be unavailable after recent positive tests. (information courtesy of mancity.com)

PEP PREVIEW
"It’s better to have everyone but when we don't, you have to adapt.
"This situation we had to adapt and adjust, that's what you have to do."

Beat the Pep
Steffen
Cancelo Dias Harwood-Bellis Mendy
Rodri, Gundogan, Bernardo,
Foden, Aguero, Sterling

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Robert Jones
Assistant Referees: Edward Smart & Scott Ledger
Fourth Official: Martin Atkinson
VAR: Graham Scott
AVAR: Matthew Wilkes

New Rules for this season's FA Cup 2021
There are no replays and matches with go to extra time and penalties to decide the winners.

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Premier League Wed 13 Jan18:00 GMT
Manchester City
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v Brighton and Hove Albion
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Looking forward to this game to see Kun get a run. I don't think Pep will change his center backs, they are playing well and I think they will want to play. No real upsets so far, so we don't want to be an upset this round.
 
The two sides last met in a League Cup tie at the Etihad back in September 2011.
First half goals from Owen Hargreaves and Mario Balotelli helped secure a 2-0 victory for City.
 
Match stats
This is our first FA Cup meeting with Birmingham since a third-round tie in January 2001, City winning 3-2 at Maine Road.

Birmingham are winless in their last 12 away games against Man City in all competitions (D2 L10), with this their first visit since a League Cup tie in September 2011 (0-2)

We last failed to reach the FA Cup fourth round in the 2011-12 campaign, losing at home to JoMU at this stage in that season.
We have won their last five third round ties by an aggregate score of 23-2.

Since beating Wolves 1-0 in 2011-12, Birmingham have been eliminated from their last seven FA Cup ties against Premier League opposition.
 
CITY XI: Steffen, Cancelo, Dias, Walker, Mendy, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Foden, Jesus, Mahrez
Subs: Ederson, Stones, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Delap, Nmecha, Harwood-Bellis, Mbete
 
Well yesterday he was pretty unequivocal in his comments.....

“Yesterday he trained really well, today he was off. Tomorrow if he feels good he is going to play.”​
So I have to fear that there has been some reaction after the training & rest day. I am open (🤞🏻) to other interpretations but given recent history I am fearing the worst. I really hope I am wrong......
 
Well yesterday he was pretty unequivocal in his comments.....

“Yesterday he trained really well, today he was off. Tomorrow if he feels good he is going to play.”​
So I have to fear that there has been some reaction after the training & rest day. I am open (🤞🏻) to other interpretations but given recent history I am fearing the worst. I really hope I am wrong......
Bugger. You may well be right.
 
1. Only one recognised centre back
2. No Aguero....... despite Pep's hints 🤔


Yes The Aguero mystery deepens, unless he has tested positive? I think he will use Walker as the CB, Joao Cancelo being the better outfield player, but Harwood Bellis is the better CB, but who knows what Pep's team will be.