It’s semi-final weekend in the FA Cup, and Saturday will see Manchester City’s quest for a treble continue at Wembley. City will come up against Championship high-flyers Sheffield United, who have enjoyed a memorable run to this stage of the competition.
FA Cup Semi-Final Preview
All the pressure this weekend will be on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, as they look to book their passage through to the final of the FA Cup. City has come up against high quality sides throughout the competition this term, including in the opening two rounds where they needed to see off Chelsea and Arsenal. City booked their spot in the last four with a straightforward win over Championship leaders Burnley, with Erling Haaland netting a hat-trick.
Guardiola’s side are chasing a seventh FA Cup honour this season, but they will be wary at this stage of the competition. City has exited at the semi-final stage of the FA Cup in each of the three previous seasons. But, they will be heavily expected to overcome that hurdle against Championship opposition.
Sheffield United’s main aim this season will be to gain promotion back to the Premier League. That feat has almost been achieved, as they sit five clear of third-place Luton Town with five games of the season remaining. A memorable run to the FA Cup final wouldn’t have seemed possible at the start of the season, but they have battled extremely well to reach this stage.
They overcame National League winners Wrexham after a replay in the fourth round, before defeating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the fifth round. United played out a thriller against Blackburn at the quarterfinal stage, but they edged through courtesy of City-loannee Tommy Doyle, who netted in the 91st minute.
Manchester City vs Sheffield United Head to Head
Manchester City has won each of their last four matches against Sheffield United without conceding a goal. The most recent of those was a 1-0 success in January 2021. However, the last meeting between the sides in this competition saw the Blades land a 2-1 success in January 2008.
Manchester City vs Sheffield United Prediction
The fact that the Blades are unable to field Tommy Doyle and Jamie McAtee against their parent club this weekend is a massive blow. We could see that being a huge factor that goes against them, and we struggle to see anything other than a City win, with Haaland getting at least two.
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