TALE OF TWO CITIES – league leaders FA Cup face-off

With the WSL and WSL 2 leaders, Manchester City and Birmingham City going head-to-head in the FA Cup quarter-final, Gethin Thurlow looks into the matchup.

Five games ago in mid-February, Amy Merricks’ Birmingham City were nine points below Charlton Athletic. Now, they lead the Womens Super League 2 with just two matches left. After heartbreak last year on the final day this is exactly the form they need to be showing as the season comes to a head. Outside of the league action then, there’s the small distraction of the best team in the country, Man City.

After losing their opener against Chelsea, Andree Jeglertz’s super-team went on an incredible winning run to all but secure the club’s first WSL title in 10 years. A loss against Arsenal and a draw with Villa recently have shown that this team is still human, but led by a record-shattering attack, world-leading midfield and dynamic young defence this Manchester City team is certainly a class above in England this year.

Having been denied in the Subway Cup by Chelsea, City will be extra hungry to bring home the FA Cup in a season where they’ve dominated English football. With no Champions League to distract them (until next season), they can really throw full focus at this tie.

While there are a range of methods when approaching ‘easier’ games against lower league opponents, Jeglertz (below) seems to have settled on a method: very much respect the opposition and play your strongest, world class team, but allow some limited rotation in that.

So the change might be a Clinton starting ahead of a Miedema and Blindkilde Brown for Coffey, or Ouhabi getting a rare start. Keating will likely start in goal after a good two-game display while Yamashita was out in Australia.

WSL2 top scorer Lily Crosthwaite and co can expect a very tough affair, but also a great test looking ahead to next year. With similarly lofty hopes to London City Lionesses for the future, Birmingham City will be wanting to do more than just lose against the top sides starting from September.

More than an FA Cup tie getting in the way of crucial league-defining action for both teams, this is an opportunity for a statement, and history.

May the best City win.

You can catch the action at 5pm on Monday 6 April, live on TNT Sports in the UK.