Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City? Joe Cole reveals his pick to win the FA Cup | Football

Ex-England and Chelsea star Joe Cole says he has a ‘sneaky feeling’ Manchester City will go all the way in this year’s FA Cup to lift the trophy for an eighth time.

City secured the first piece of silverware of the season courtesy of a Nico O’Reilly-inspired victory over Arsenal in last month’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

And while Pep Guardiola’s men were denied a place in the Champions League quarter-finals by Real Madrid, they remain in the mix in both the English top flight and in the FA Cup.

It would require a stunning nine-point swing in order for Guardiola to be crowned a Premier League champion for a seventh time in his illustrious City career.

But victory over Arsenal at the Etihad on April 19 may have some Arsenal fans fearing the worst after what has been a painful 22-year wait for the title, stretching back to Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles.

In the cup, meanwhile, City have been handed a tough quarter-final draw at home to eight-time winners Liverpool, a year after Erling Haaland and Co fell at the final hurdle at the hands of Crystal Palace.

Elsewhere, Arsenal and Southampton do battle at St Mary’s for a semi-final spot, while Chelsea play host to League One outfit Port Vale and West Ham entertain Leeds in an all-Premier League affair at the London Stadium.

Ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, Joe Hart, Glenn Hoddle and Cole sat down with TNT Sport’s Darren Fletcher to discuss their thoughts after a rollercoaster few months in English football’s most famous competition.

‘I’ve just got a sneaky feeling for Joe [Hart]’s mob [Manchester City],’ former Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham winger Cole said.

In response, ex-England and Manchester City goalkeeper Hart chimed in: ‘To add to that, the way Pep was reacting and with how invested he was… people think he’s got one toe out of Manchester City.

‘But there was no sign of that, was there? He was ready to scrap, he was fighting, he was living and breathing everything they were doing.’

Irrespective of which clubs make it to this year’s final, Cole is anticipating an ‘incredible’ showpiece at Wembley.

‘Nostalgia is a big thing in this current age,’ the ex-England international – who won two FA Cups with Chelsea – explained.

‘There’s always been people harping on about the good old days, but now, music, fashion and football, all three things go hand in hand and the FA Cup encompasses all three things.

‘I think there has been a big push back and this year’s FA Cup final, something incredible is going to happen, it has to.’

According to Hart, Palace’s historic victory over City last year will have ‘given hope to everyone’ of upsetting the odds and getting their hands on the trophy.

‘You look at the achievement of Palace last season, they beat Manchester City and, of course, I wanted Manchester City to win,’ the 2011 FA Cup winner said.

‘But it united them, gave them their medals and their flowers and that badge of honour that they had worked so hard for.

‘It was an incredible performance and that can only give hope to everyone left in the competition.’

Ex-England manager Hoddle agreed, adding: ‘That performance has given hope to everyone: if they can do it against the odds, against the very best, then we can do it.’

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