Roberto Martinez’s relegation-bound Wigan upset the odds to beat Roberto Mancini’s City in the 2012-13 FA Cup final and prove that the world’s oldest domestic cup competition is still capable of providing unlikely winners. Not only that, but the following season Wigan went to the Etihad Stadium and repeated the feat, winning a quarter-final 2-1 against a side that weeks later would be crowned Premier League champions under Manuel Pellegrini. They are 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League, are on the verge of the Champions League quarter-finals and next week will play Arsenal in the League Cup final. Yet despite the gulf in quality between the two sides, the FA Cup being the FA Cup means Monday’s conclusion to the fifth round promises to be an intriguing one. Wigan boss Paul Cook would be well-advised to ban his players from watching City’s 4-0 hammering of Basel on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Source: The Express Tribune February 15, 2018 09:31 UTC