Manchester City take on Watford in the FA Cup Final this evening. Although the cup competition is not as prestigious as it once was, it is still one of the most coveted prizes in England and all eyes will be at Wembley as this will be the final major match before the 2018/19 season is over for both teams.
Manchester City needs no introduction. Coming off the back of defending their league title against Liverpool and being crowned the kings of England for the second successive season, they’re clear favourites for this competition as well against a side 48 points behind them. Although City haven’t won the FA Cup since 2011, it’s difficult to look past the Manchester side to see the winners. City will be aiming for their first domestic treble and it would be a deserved end to another historic season under Pep Guardiola.
Watford on the other hand, have also enjoyed a quietly respectable season. Under the tactically astute Javi Gracia, they’ve solidified their mid-table position and tried to carve out their own identity. The season petered out for them in an unconvincing manner – three losses and one draw in the last four matches – their cup form has been impeccable. They produced an inspiring performance against Wolves in the semi-finals and have proven themselves to be worthy cup-challengers. How well can they perform against one of the best sides in the history of the Premier League? In this tactical analysis, we’ll attempt to answer that question from a tactical perspective, looking into what will be key elements of the game as well as the major battles between the players as well as the coaches.
Predicted lineups
Both managers have a lot to be happy for in terms of returning personnel from injury and will be able to pick from an almost full squad. Fernandinho is expected to return to the line-ups after his knee injury during the Manchester derby. Kevin de Bruyne is also expected to be fit and ready for selection as both players were seen training mid-week. Benjamin Mendy, however, will be out as he’s travelling to Barcelona for a check-up on his knee surgery he undertook last season.
Watford have successfully appealed against the red card shown against José Holebas in their clash with West Ham United. It was awarded for him pulling on Michail Antonio to prevent him from getting into a 1v1 with the goalkeeper during a counter-attack. Defensive-midfielder Étienne Capoue has also returned and so has forward Gerard Deulofeu (who’ll be key to the Watford attack).
Both coaches are known for their tactical intelligence and both of them favour unchanging starting line-ups keeping the changes to a minimum. This is evident in how they’ve not wavered from their preferred formations through-out the season. Manchester City have lined up in a 4-3-3 almost invariably during the entire season. Gracia has also found his ideal Watford formation with a 4-4-2 which morphs into a 4-2-2-2.
Considering all of the above, this is what we feel should be the starting eleven for both teams –
Key tactical elements
Watford’s defensive solidity
It wouldn’t be an absurd claim to say that Manchester City are going to dominate possession. With an average possession percentage of 64%, they’re the highest in the league this season in that regard as well as the team with the highest average pass completion rate at 89%. Watford themselves are better with the ball than they’re without it but Gracia usually adopts more pragmatic game-plans for clashes with the top four sides. Hence, it will be imperative for Gracia that his defensive organisation and discipline is flawless.
