Draws for the semi-finals of the oldest
football tournament in the world were made after the third quarterfinal game
before Manchester United beat Fulham by 3-1 last week in the final Elite
eight-stage game.
The fixtures were confirmed shortly after the
draw, and both semi-finals will take place at the same time and on the same
day, Saturday, April 22, at 7:00 pm PKT.
In this article, we'll closely examine the
confirmed semi-finals and potentially final game and predict the winner based
on current form and history.
Manchester
City vs Sheffield United
Talking about Pep's side first, Manchester
City's journey in the FA Cup this season has been very comfortable till now.
They have progressed to the final four stages after thrashing Burnley by 6-0 in
the quarterfinals, thanks to another brilliant hat-trick by Erling Haaland and
an equally brilliant brace by Julian Alvarez.
Given their squad depth, elite mentality, and
current form, they should easily beat their semi-final opponent Sheffield
United and qualify for the final of the oldest football tournament in the
world.
On the other hand, Sheffield United has defied
all the odds and progressed to the semi-final. They knocked out Antonio Conte's
Tottenham Hotspurs in the 5th round and Black Burn Rovers by 3-2 in the
quarterfinal, who progressed to the quarterfinal after beating Leicester City.
Although their journey in the competition has
been incredible, they will go home from here as they will be facing heavyweight
Manchester City, who expect to cruise past them and win the competition.
Brighton
vs Manchester United
Talking about Manchester United first, Erik Ten
Hag's Manchester United is one of the favourites to lift the FA Cup trophy. Not
very long ago, no one could've imagined this, but things have completely
changed since the arrival of the Dutch manager as they won their first trophy
after 2017 (EFL Cup) last month.
On the other hand, Brighton has started to run
on the winning track after the run of poor form they went through after former
manager Graham Potter's departure. They have progressed to the semi-finals
after hammering Grimsby Town by 5-0 in the quarterfinal.
Given their current form, one thing is sure
United will only be going past them slowly. However, given the squad strength
and experience of Erik Ten Hag's side, Brighton is expected to pack its bags
from here.
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(Predicted
final) Manchester City vs Manchester United:
Manchester City and Manchester United should
cruise past their semi-final opponents, Sheffield United and Brighton,
respectively, and progress to the final.
Not long ago, Manchester United was not a
threat to any big team, but that's not the case anymore. They're in flying
colours since the arrival of Dutch manager Erik Ten Hag last summer, who has
completely changed the club's mentality and the whole environment in his
first-ever season in Europe.
On the other hand is Manchester City, who has
achieved great success, especially in this tournament, under their current
manager Pep Guardiola and would be looking to win another one this season. They
will do just that: they have the best squad in the world and have already won
multiple titles under Pep Guardiola.
Both teams are performing exceptionally well at
the moment. Although Ten Hag's side is performing par expectations and has
beaten them once this season, they need more to beat Manchester City in a final
game, as Pep's side knows how to win a title game.
Final
thoughts…
As things stand, both teams from Manchester are
expected to progress to the final quickly and are currently two of the top
in-form teams in the world.
Erik Ten Hag's side won the EFL Cup last month
and would like to win their second title this season by beating its arch-rivals
Manchester City, who is undoubtedly playing the best football in the world.
Expect a thriller to take place on June 3,
2023, at Wembley Stadium, where we believe Pep's side will once again lift the
trophy of the oldest football tournament in the world.
