When Manchester City travels to Luton Town in midweek, for a FA Cup fifth round clash, they will certainly have history on their side. Under manager Pep Guardiola, they have made it to at least this stage of the competition every year. In all years but one of the Pep experience, they have reached the quarterfinals.
The lone exception was 2017-18, when they lost to Wigan Athletic.
FA Cup Round of 16 FYIs
Fun Fact: This will be the first time Luton Town has faced the current holders of the FA Cup, in the tournament itself, since 1986-87.
Kick: Tue. Feb. 27, 8pm, Kenilworth Road, Bury Park, Luton, UK
Manchester City Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Conversely, if Luton Town win this match it would mean their first FA Cup quarterfinal appearance since 1993-94. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at what starting lineup Pep Guardiola could go with, in the hopes of preventing that from happening.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction at Luton Town (FA Cup Round of 16)
Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji; Rodri, John Stones; Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden; Erling Haaland
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.