FA Cup final: Chelsea should fear one “incredible” Man City star - and it’s not Erling Haaland

Chelsea volition request to support a adjacent oculus connected Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku during Saturday’s FA Cup last astatine Wembley Stadium.

The West Londoners, eight-time FA Cup winners, are preparing for their 17th last successful the contention aft beating Leeds United 1-0 successful their semi-final necktie 3 weeks ago.

Man City came from down to beat Southampton by a 2-1 scoreline successful their last-four contention and the seven-time winners beryllium looking to debar replicating an unwanted FA Cup last record held by Chelsea.

Pep Guardiola is expected to revert to his strongest starting lineup aft resting immoderate of his cardinal players for the 3-0 Premier League win implicit Crystal Palace connected Wednesday.

Erling Haaland was a notable absentee from Guardiola’s lineup and is the Citizens’s apical scorer successful each competitions this play with 37 goals, but his goalscoring grounds successful finals leaves a batch to beryllium desired.

Doku, meanwhile, was different subordinate who began connected the Man City seat successful midweek, but helium is acceptable to instrumentality connected the near flank and volition beryllium 1 to ticker nether the celebrated Wembley arch.

Indeed, Doku has arguably been Man City’s standout performer successful caller weeks, contributing with 5 goals and 2 assists crossed his past 7 appearances successful each competitions.

The Belgian winger scored 1 of those goals successful Man City’s 3-0 Premier League triumph against Chelsea astatine Stamford Bridge past month, portion helium besides scored a important equaliser successful the aforementioned semi-final triumph implicit Southampton.

Across the past 2 seasons successful the FA Cup, nary subordinate has been progressive successful much goals than Doku (three goals, 5 assists), portion the 23-year-old’s 5 assists and 40 dribbles are besides the astir of immoderate Premier League subordinate successful that time.

Doku’s summation successful productivity has been acknowledged by Guardiola, who has heaped praise connected the “incredible” winger’s signifier this season.

Doku is 1 of the astir unsafe guardant successful the world, says Guardiola

When asked successful a caller interrogation if Doku had developed into 1 of the astir unsafe forwards successful satellite football, Guardiola confidently replied: “Yes perfectly I wholly agree. Always helium had this quality erstwhile helium has the ball, to driblet the squad with the dribbles but we miss possibly the past walk oregon the goals.

“But this play helium made an unthinkable measurement forward, which players indispensable do. To effort to get amended and better.

“It belongs perfectly to him the assurance to effort it. Always against bully teams you request bully players up front, not conscionable Erling and look astatine Omar [Marmoush]. Attacking midfielders and wingers they request to marque actions similar that to triumph games.

“You privation to go a amended player; you person to triumph games for yourself. It’s not capable to bash a bully action, a cross, you person to triumph games.

Chelsea’s Gusto oregon James apt to look Doku successful FA Cup final

Doku, who has 22 goals contributions (eight goals, 14 assists) successful each competitions this season, is alert that helium indispensable proceed to header with the demands required to play astatine the highest level.

"I've learnt to triumph games. That's the quality from wherever I came. In Man City, the request is higher, much prime players, besides [they] expect you to triumph each game, helium told The National Sport.

"You play much finals, much of these types of games, ever successful the contention for something. It's conscionable that antithetic benignant of unit I've learnt however to header with. It's a peculiar nine due to the fact that of the consistency.

"Everyone that works present is moving towards the aforesaid goal. Everyone is nice, humble, conscionable working. I consciousness we each conscionable privation to support the level and effort scope our goals."

It remains to beryllium seen whether Chelsea’s Malo Gusto oregon skipper Reece James volition beryllium handed a commencement astatine right-back and beryllium tasked with keeping Doku quiescent successful Saturday’s final.

Gusto could clasp his starting spot from the Blues broadside that drew 1-1 with Liverpool successful the Premier League past weekend, if James is handed a commencement successful midfield by interim brag Calum McFarlane.