Filed under: Manchester City, Stoke City, FA Cup, Football, Match Previews
FA CUP FINAL: WEMBLEY, SATURDAY MAY 14, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1500 BSTAfter nearly four decades of frustration, underachievement and, more recently, bloated expectations, Roberto Mancini has the chance to firmly etch his name into Manchester City history.
Despite already securing a place in next season's Champions League the urbane Italian is acutely aware that silverware is required if the club are really to become regarded as more than simply Manchester United's "noisy neighbours".
Mancini has impressively gone about his work this term against the backdrop of a fractious dressing room, barbs from other clubs about their spending power and the omnipresent uncertainty over whether billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour is going to wield the axe.
He has surely earned a reprieve after finishing fourth in the Premier League but ending 35 years without a trophy will render him bombproof at Eastlands.
How Stoke will relish the prospect of extending their wait. Tony Pulis and his players delight in upsetting the big boys and Mancini has already admitted that the Potters represent more of a threat than Manchester United.
Stoke's incredible performance against Bolton in the semi-final ensures they simply can't be written off, with the only concern for Pulis the doubts over whether Matthew Etherington or Robert Huth will be available to play after untimely injuries.
Their history is even more humble than their illustrious opponents, as they prepare for their first FA Cup Final in 148 years. Stoke have certainly come a long way since their last silverware, when they won the Autoglass Trophy in the 1999/2000 season.
Key Match-up: Ryan Shawcross v Carlos Tevez. Shawcross is running into form at just the right time for Stoke and epitomises the work rate and commitment of the Potters. He will expect Tevez to return from a hamstring injury and knows stopping Manchester City's leading scorer will be key to a surprise triumph.
Form Guide: Mancini has masterminded notable victories over United and Spurs in recent weeks andnd have lost two of their last seven games. Stoke will go into the clash having only lost one of their last nine games. Since Stoke's return to the Premier League, and two meetings in last season's FA Cup, both clubs have two wins apiece from seven games.
Odds: Manchester City 5/6, Stoke 10/3, Draw 13/5
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/05/13/manchester-city-v-stoke-city-preview-battle-to-become-the-city/
Thierry Henry Thomaz Bellucci Tim Clark Tomas Berdych Torsten Frings
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