Good afternoon and welcome to our live blog coverage of the FA Cup third round’s plum tie. Chelsea travel to Manchester City and we will have the team news at 3.30pm. We will also keep an eye on the draw for the fourth round, which will be made at 4.05pm, and you’ll be able to follow that in more depth with a dedicated FA Cup fourth round draw blog that I will link to once it is up!
Chelsea have a formidable recent record in this competition of late, they have reached five of the last six finals. Only won one of them, mind you. Man City, given their pre-eminence in League football, have a surprisingly lean recent record: they thumped Watford 6-0 in the 2019 final but you have to go back to 2013 for their previous appearance before that, when they lost to Wigan. Clearly it’s not the top priority for Pep Guardiola but still a little bit of a curiosity.
For the beleaguered Graham Potter, the FA Cup could be a route to salvation or it could be another nail in the coffin. Potter says that he has faith in the long-term efficacy of his methods but a) Mandy Rice-Davies applies and he would say that wouldn’t he? and b) it’s more about whether Todd Boehly believes. Sam Wallace analyses that situation here.
Is Graham Potter right to believe in a new Chelsea? Todd Boehly will provide the answer
For Pep, it’s just one more game that they start as hot favourites. He says that everyone expects them to win all the time. Boo and indeed furthermore hoo. Still, if you want to read more about that, put down the world’s smallest violin and click on this here link.
Pep Guardiola: Arsenal and Manchester United do not have same burden of expectation as City
As always with these biggest sides in the FA Cup games, it remains to be seen which players they name. Full strength? Half strength? Capstan Full Strength?
Guardiola has said midfielder Kalvin Phillips has “improved his level” but must be in perfect condition all year, having learnt a valuable lesson after being dropped for returning overweight from the World Cup.
Phillips played only 40 minutes for England as a substitute at the finals. He has yet to start a game for City his move from Leeds United in the close season due to a shoulder injury.
Guardiola had publicly criticised Phillips for being overweight, after leaving him out of City’s squad for their League Cup win over Liverpool on Dec. 22.
“It will maybe be a good lesson for him in the future. I have the feeling that a footballer has to be perfect over 12 months,” Guardiola said. “Even in holidays you have to be perfect.
“You can enjoy and do whatever you want, but you have to be ready because this level is so demanding. To play every three days you have to be fit, and if you are not fit, nothing. In the last week, he has improved his level.”
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