The magic of the cup
For many people scattered across the globe, the new year signifies a new opportunity, a fresh start to reinvent one’s self. From the perspective of football supporters, January signals the beginning of one of the most anticipated and beloved cup competitions in the sport, the FA Cup.
On a yearly basis, we’re often reminded about the intrinsic magic that the FA Cup retains, and while this saying is becoming increasingly phatic to some spectators, its message is still pertinent. The tournament has a propensity to allow teams of less repute to thrive, regardless of their league form, against some of the most distinguished outfits in the Premier League.
Bradford’s indelible 4-2 victory against Premier League champions, Chelsea (who were league leaders at the time), is one memorable example of how a team branded as underdogs can triumph against one of the world’s best. Similarly, the runs that Lincoln City and Sutton United (both of whom were non-league last season) testified the competition’s unrivalled tendency to produce magical moments.
Excitement builds
This forthcoming weekend denotes the start of the third round of the FA Cup, and excitement is already beginning to amass ahead of the tournament. There is an abundance of fixtures that look poised to provide excitement and ecstasy for spectators, most notably, the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton.
Additionally, the opportunities of cup upsets are plentiful while considering that Championship side Derby County travel to Manchester United, Fleetwood Town host Leicester City and Exeter City entertain West Bromwich Albion. As the beginning of the tournament draws closer, many supporters are beginning to ponder who will be the victors of this season’s FA Cup?
Naturally, considering their sensational league form, Manchester City are positioned as favourites with the bookies to win this year’s competition. Pep Guardiola endured considerable difficulty in establishing the way he wanted his team to play. Most notably his defenders were bereft of sufficient technical ability to operate in a quintessential Guardiola team. During the summer transfer window, Guardiola identified his defence as an area that required reinforcement, and City have certainly reaped the benefits of that decision.
In 22 league games, the Citizens have been victorious in 20 matches, drawing the other two fixtures. Therefore, throughout the entirety of the league so far, City have only dropped four points. The quality of their achievement cannot be stressed sufficiently, and it seems, that they could even emulate the success of Arsenal’s iconic ‘invincible’ team.
Considering that City flaunt a fifteen-point advantage at the summit of the Premier League, there is greater emphasis on divisional rivals to succeed in cup competitions. One such team is Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. The Blues reached the final of the tournament last season and lost controversially to London rivals, Arsenal.
The impassioned Italian manager has a poor record in cup competitions as a manager and considering that his beloved Chelsea are 16 points adrift of City, there’ll be considerable expectation for the Blues to perform in the FA Cup.
Similarly, Jose Mourinho is facing a precarious situation as Manchester United manager. Throughout his career, the Portuguese coach has established a trend to perform in the second season at a club. Currently, his United side are far from the standard that Manchester City are achieving in the league, and the Red Devils were beaten by Bristol City in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup. Thus, the Champions League and the FA Cup are the only remaining opportunities for Mourinho to earn silverware this season. Indeed, the pressure mounting on the former Real Madrid boss is intense; it will be exceedingly interesting to see how his team performs in the cup this term.
When discussing this competition, it’s almost impossible to disregard Arsenal considering their recent form in the competition. Arsenal exhibit the record of having won the highest number of FA Cups. Additionally, they’ve performed marvellously in the tournament of late. In the past four seasons, Arsene Wenger’s Gunners have been triumphant on three occasions.
For a tournament regarded for its magic, it seems that Arsene Wenger has discovered the perfect formula to thrive in the competition. Without question, there is considerable intrigue and excitement associated with this season’s competition. It will be incredibly exciting to see how the action unfolds.
