WHY I’M ROOTING FOR A BRIGHTON WIN TODAY
IT PAYS to be objective in this line of work but nevertheless it is difficult not to break with the code and root for an unlikely Brighton victory at Wembley. We thank Manchester City for the beauty and thrill of their football and it may be that one day we thank them for delivering Phil Foden safely to the heart of the England team too. We wish them — and all the English clubs — well in the Champions League and if they see off Liverpool and claim a back-to-back title for the first time in their history then nobody will say they do not deserve it. But for the health of our game and for the future good of the
FA Cup, this evening it would not be unwelcome to see Pep Guardiola’s team defeated. Only twice in the last 11 seasons has a club outside the accepted elite won the competition, Wigan in 2013 and Portsmouth in 2008. Prior to that, only Everton’s triumph in 1995 broke a Liverpool/Manchester United/ Chelsea/Arsenal hegemony that stretched back to Tottenham’s
success in the Gazza final of 1991. So if we are not to see more mid-ranking Premier League clubs treat the famous old competition as an inconvenience in the early rounds — fielding weakened teams in a competition they clearly feel they cannot win — then the FA Cup needs a different winner this time. A victory for Brighton today would open the door to that. The Sussex club have not contested an FA Cup final since 1983 while tomorrow’s semifinalists — Watford and Wolves — have not featured since 1984 and 1960, respectively. There is much to like about Brighton. A forward-looking, ambitious football club with a local owner and an understanding of what cultural diversity really means and looks like, their football under manager Chris Hughton can be effective enough on its day to surprise people. Brighton’s route to the last four has not been particularly taxing, a win at under-strength Bournemouth in the third round their stand-out result. Wolves, conquerors of Liverpool and Manchester United, have had to work a little harder for example. Brighton can certainly play but, victory over United last August aside, they have earned their likely place in next year’s Premier League by beating the teams around and below them. So today at Wembley they will need to find something more inspiring than that if they are to down a Manchester City side beginning to assemble a strong case for being judged as one of the very best club sides the English game has ever seen. It does feel appropriate to pull for the underdog on this occasion, though. City already have one domestic trophy in the can this season and remain favourites to win the title again. What would it say about the rest if they really did win all three?