Connect with us

FA Cup

Hag and Guardiola boast ahead of a unique FA Cup final

blank

Published

on

Saturday sees the first-ever meeting of local rivals Manchester City and Manchester United in an  FA Cup Final when the clubs face off at Wembley to decide the 2023 champions.

The clash also means that all England’s major cups will be in Manchester as Manchester United had earlier won the League Cup (Carabao) while city rivals, Manchester City are the Premier League champions.

What ever the outcome, the FA Cup shall be won by a team in Manchester. Both managers, Erik ten Hag and Pep Guardiola had worked together at German sides, Bayern Munich.

Ahead of this Saturday’s clash, both manager bared their minds in the official programme of the FA Cup final. Hear them:

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola:

Advertisement
blank


”This competition is so special. It’s the most historic domestic cup competition in the world. When we won this trophy in 2019, I can honestly say it was one of my favourite moments as City manager.

“We want to win it again and I can promise you we will do everything we can to try and make that happen.

”We are playing a top team today; we know this and we are ready. Manchester United know how to win and we will have to fight for absolutely everything today.

“However, I trust my players and I can see it in their eyes: they want to win this trophy.

”To be here as Premier League champions is amazing for us. To win the title five times in six years is something very special.

“We try to be consistent and work hard every day, but I never imagined we could win five in six, especially in this country where the standard is so high. Every single week it is so tough and so demanding.

“The consistency my players have shown is extraordinary, and I’m incredibly proud of all of them. I am the luckiest manager in the world!

”And next week we have a Champions League final to look forward to. To be playing Inter in Istanbul in the final of Europe’s most beautiful competition is going to be amazing for this football club”

.

Advertisement

Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag:

blank


”Our aim today is the same as always: win the game. You do not fight through round after round to reach cup finals just so you can enjoy a nice day out; once you reach one then you have to give every single bit of your energy to make sure you leave Wembley with the trophy.

”This is a fantastic opportunity for this group of players and staff to win our second piece of silverware and create a new moment of history for this great football club.

“If we stick to our gameplan, follow our own rules and draw extra strength from our amazing supporters, then I have every confidence that we can achieve our aim today and take another big step forward in our journey together.

”The strong bond that has developed between this team and our fans is one of the most pleasing things about the season, and this connection will be more important than ever at Wembley as we contest the Emirates FA Cup Final with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

”We know that we will have to be at our very best against an excellent opponent.

“We have already shown that we are capable of this, because our Premier League win over City in January was one of our best performances so far this season. So, we know what is required, we know the standards we have to reach.

”I can say with certainty that Pep will not be expecting an easy fixture this afternoon because we have shown repeatedly that we have the ability to cause problems for every team.”

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

FA Cup

Eight-minute VAR check at Bournemouth is new English record

blank

Published

on

blank
 FA Cup - Fifth Round - AFC Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - March 1, 2025 A big screen displays a VAR review message Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra 

The first weekend of semi-automated offside decisions in English soccer descended into confusion on Saturday as Bournemouth had a goal ruled out after a record eight-minute VAR check.

Bournemouth, who eventually beat Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-1 draw, thought they had doubled their lead when defender Milos Kerkez scored in the 35th-minute goal.

However, new technology could not be used because the six-yard area was too crowded and VAR officials had to revert to manually drawing lines before disallowing the goal.

Fellow defender Dean Huijsen was adjudged to have been in an offside position as Kerkez’s effort brushed his shoulder before going in to the net.

The VAR check was further complicated as VAR officials Timothy Wood and Darren England also had to also examine the possibility of hand balls prior to the tight offside call.

Advertisement

Both sets of fans voiced their disapproval at the interminable wait, chanting “it’s not football any more” and “this is embarrassing”.

Referee Sam Barrott, who eventually announced the decision to the crowd via a microphone, had to explain to the respective managers and players what was happening during the delay.

-Reuters

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement

Continue Reading

FA Cup

FA Cup giant-killers Plymouth draw Man City in fifth round

blank

Published

on

blank

FA Cup giant-killers Plymouth Argyle drew Premier League champions Manchester City on Monday as the second-tier side’s fifth-round reward for a shock defeat of Liverpool at the weekend.

Holders Manchester United will host Fulham at Old Trafford in one of at least three all-Premier League clashes, with League Cup finalists Newcastle United at home to top-tier rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.

Bournemouth will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in another all-top-flight encounter.

Struggling Plymouth caused one of the great upsets of the FA Cup on Sunday when they beat a second-string Liverpool 1-0, ending the Premier League leaders’ hopes of a quartet of trophies this season.

The Pilgrims are bottom of the Championship but City, who reached the fifth round with a 2-1 win at third-tier Leyton Orient on Saturday after going behind early on, have been misfiring this season.

Advertisement

There will be a fourth all-Premier League clash if Nottingham Forest avoid trouble at League One (third tier) Exeter City on Tuesday, with Ipswich Town awaiting the winners.

Aston Villa, who ended Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes on Sunday, host second tier Cardiff City.

The fifth round matches will be played on the weekend of March 1 and 2.

Last 16 draw:

  • Preston North End v Burnley
  • Aston Villa v Cardiff City
  • Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace v Millwall
  • Manchester United v Fulham
  • Newcastle United v Brighton & Hove Albion
  • Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle

-Reuters

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

FA Cup

Liverpool suffer shock FA Cup defeat to Plymouth

blank

Published

on

blank
FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Ryan Hardie celebrates scoring their first goal with Callum Wright and Adam Randell REUTERS/David Klein 

A much-changed Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup by struggling second-tier side Plymouth Argyle, who pulled off a stunning 1-0 fourth-round win at Home Park on Sunday that put an end to the visitors’ hopes of a quadruple.

The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute after they were awarded a penalty for a handball by midfielder Harvey Elliott and Ryan Hardie stepped up to send Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.

Premier League leaders Liverpool were bereft of ideas and had just one shot on target in the opening half, with Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard making a diving save in the 36th minute to keep out James McConnell’s long-range shot.

Ahead of the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool made wholesale changes with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister among the big-names rested and left at home.

Liverpool, who were also forced into an early change when defender Joe Gomez went down injured, failed to create many chances in a scrappy encounter as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the second-tier Championship, gradually grew in confidence.

Advertisement

Arne Slot’s side switched gears after going down but Hazard proved to be the hero for Plymouth as the Northern Irishman brilliantly kept out Diogo Jota’s volley in added time, as well as a header from Darwin Nunez.

With Liverpool top of the Premier League, having strolled into the Champions League’s last 16 and reached the League Cup final, some fans and pundits had begun to speculate about a potential quadruple.

Plymouth’s remarkable victory, however, brought a shuddering halt to talk of clean sweep of silverware for Slot’s side, who had only lost three games all season, prior to Sunday.

Meanwhile, there was no surprise in the other FA Cup fourth-round tie with Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers beating second-tier Championship side Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park.

There was little to separate the two teams in the opening minutes before Wolves hit Blackburn with two rapid-fire goals through midfielder Joao Gomes in the 33rd minute and seconds later via forward Matheus Cunha.

Advertisement

Blackburn defender Dominic Hyam had the ball in the back of the net in the 19th minute, but his celebrations were cut short when the linesman’s flag went up for offside.

-Reuters

Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Most Viewed