Pep Guardiola makes his FA Cup bow as Manchester City travel to the capital to face West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday. With the Spaniard under a little bit of pressure after some questionable results in the English Premier League, Guardiola will be keen to see his City side turn on the style against the Hammers.
City currently lie fourth in the Premier League, seven points off leaders Chelsea. Things seemed a lot more dire for Guardiola and his team after their defeat to Liverpool, but a fighting win over Burnley and Chelsea's loss to Tottenham have just lifted the mood.
Another win and a smooth passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup will help brighten the mood just that little bit further.
Guardiola would have preferred to face a lower league team, not just because the match might have been easier but also to help him feel the romance of the FA Cup, but in West Ham, City run into familiar EPL opponents.
"I lived in Spain and the cup is two games, so it's a little bit predictable what is going to happen," Guardiola said referring to Spain's Copa Del Rey, which is played over two legs. "In the Bundesliga it was completely different like in England - one game and the tradition there is so special, so good. The final is one game, the most beautiful game in Germany.
"And what I hear before is that the cup here is special because the lower team can beat the big teams in one game, which is why it is fascinating. What happens in the Premier League happens in the cup as well. So that's why I'm looking forward to it.
"But, of course, it's a Premier League game, it will be tough. We were unlucky in the draw."
City, though, will be confident of beating a West Ham side that have struggled so far this season. After finishing seventh last season, West Ham's campaign has not quite gone according to plan, with Slaven Bilic's team struggling in the bottom half of the table. Bilic hopes the FA Cup gives his team a chance to make a deep run and dream about winning a trophy this season.
"The Premier League is the priority, but we are also dreaming about trophies," Bilic said. "It is definitely more likely we are closer to a trophy in the cups than the league, like most of the clubs. It is a big ambition for us. We have a very difficult draw.
"We had tough ones in the EFL Cup with Chelsea and Manchester United. Manchester City will approach this cup very seriously but we are positive because our form is good now."
Where to Watch Live
West Ham vs Manchester City is scheduled for a 7.55pm GMT (2.55pm ET, 1.25am IST) start. Live Streaming and TV guide for the FA Cup game is below.
India: TV: Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
UK: TV: BBC One. Live Streaming: BBC iPlayer.
USA: TV: Fox Sports 1. Live Streaming: FoxSoccer2Go.
Middle East: TV: Bein Sports Arabia. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Australia and New Zealand: TV: ESPN.
