Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has urged Pep Guardiola to make four key changes to his starting lineup for Saturday's FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.
The Citizens head into their third successive FA Cup showpiece at Wembley Stadium on the back of playing out a disappointing goalless stalemate with already-relegated Southampton in the Premier League last weekend, leaving their Champions League qualification hopes still up in the air.
To the surprise of some including McInerney, Guardiola opted to make five changes to his starting lineup and decided against selecting any natural wingers, with Phil Foden and James McAtee tasked with operating in wide areas.
Man City posed a greater threat in the final third when Jeremy Doku and Omar Marmoush came off the substitutes' bench and McInerney is hoping to see both wingers reintroduced to the first XI on Saturday.
McInerney would also like to see Nico O'Reilly and Matheus Nunes recalled to play as full-backs, with the former deserving of a start in the FA Cup final having emerged as City's breakout start in this season's competition, recording three goals (City's joint-top scorer along with McAtee) and two assists in five appearances.
"I would be amazed if Guardiola doesn't play O'Reilly and Nunes," McInerney told Sports Mole. "I think certain players should be in this side because they got City there in the first place.
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Will O'Reilly, Nunes, Doku, Marmoush start for Man City in FA Cup final?
"For example, Nico O'Reilly has been one of the standout plays in the competition full stop. He's been excellent, he's been a big part of why we [have got to the final], he's played in every single game. Nunes started in the semi-finals as well with [Josko] Gvardiol and [Ruben] Dias - [Guardiola] has to go back to that (back four).
"I know [Manuel] Akanji's back, but come on... O'Reilly deserves to start. I'd be amazed and disappointed if I'm being honest, incredibly disappointed if we don't go back to that shape.
"Marmoush has been involved a lot as well. He should be in the team in my opinion. I think we have to play fearlessly and I think we have to play assertively as well.
"Let Marmoush do his thing, [play Jeremy] Doku, even if Marmoush is on the right, I don't care. Let Nunes overlap him so Marmoush can tuck inside, let Daku go on the left and run at Palace all day, because Nunes likes to get forward so much, so there'll be a bit of space in behind him, let Nico O'Reilly start at Wembley, he's earned it."
McInerney added: "City shot themselves in the foot against Southampton because they presumed they were going to score. They were waiting around for the perfect moment and that's not always going to be the case.
"I don't think Palace will sit back quite as deep as Southampton will, because they're too good, they've got too much quality, people like [Adam] Wharton or [Eberechi] Eze, they're the people who want to have the ball at their feet and ultimately they're not going be happy just camping in their own half, camping in their own box at Wembley and just kick it long - they're going to want to win.
'Man City must give Palace a reason to feel scared'
"They'll look at City and know that they can get at them as they did it at the Etihad where they went 2-0 up very quickly. They'll come at City a little bit more which will probably help the way that we play.
"City do like teams that come out a little bit, but we have to be a lot more forward-thinking. We have to be a lot more aggressive. The Southampton game is a good example of what happens if you wait for someone else to do it. You need players who are brave, who take responsibility.
"You need people who are going to step up and win the game for you and take advantage of their anxiety. Palace will be thinking, 'this is our big chance, when do we get to do this again' because there's no guarantee Palace will get to another final anytime soon, so give them a reason to feel scared.
"That's why I would play Doku for what it's worth. Even though people talk about his output, Doku is relentless and his self-belief is excellent and the same for Marmoush. Those two try and make things happen and I think you have to have that on the day."
McInerney feels that City could be in for a "really difficult" encounter with Palace, who are eager to win their first-ever major trophy and will be seeking revenge against the Citizens after they were on the wrong end of a 5-2 scoreline in the Premier League on April 12, despite leading by two goals in the opening 21 minutes. However, Guardiola's men have been backed to prevail in the final.
"It's going to be really, really difficult... Palace are a fearless team and even though City beat them 5-2, they had a cracking start at the Etihad, they terrified us," said McInerney. "They are the kind of side that, if City don't turn up, they will take advantage.
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'Man City's experience and quality will ultimately tell'
"I'm expecting it to be a really tough game because I think Palace will really want it, but if City play in the way that we know they can with a combination of experience and hunger, we should have enough."
He added: "I think we'll win and I think the Southampton game is actually a timely reminder we were poor... I definitely think City have had a sharp reminder of the quality from everyone.
"Sometimes performances like that can lead onto another bad performance, but City are a side that typically react and that's why we win trophies and why we've been so successful over the past 10 years under Guardiola so I'm hoping actually that adversity will turn into opportunity and City will be a lot more on the front foot.
"I think the experience and the quality will ultimately tell. I think Palace are a good side, they're also a footballing side and I think usually when sides go at City who are a footballing side [and] don't have the quality, City tend to be in their element.
"[If City] revert to the system we've been playing for the past few weeks with O'Reilly (and Nunes as full-backs), Dias and Gvardiol at centre-back, I think it'll just be enough to work. I'm going say City will win this."
McInerney has also talked up the importance of some of City's young players and new signings winning the FA Cup and what it would mean to the club's supporters to see club legend Kevin De Bruyne lift one final piece of domestic silverware before he departs this summer.
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
Oliver Thomas
