Pep talk about big dangers of the giantkillers

MANCHESTER CITY may be flying high – but boss Pep Guardiola knows all about the dangers of a crash landing at Wigan tomorrow night.

It will be five years ago this May that Latics claimed the only major trophy of their 81-year history when Ben Watson’s last-minute goal against the Blues won the FA Cup.

The Etihad faithful still have nightmares about the moment in time they can never forget.

And that is why Guardiola is taking nothing for granted as he plans for tomorrow’s tie

– ahead of Sunday’s

Carabao Cup Final against Arsenal at

Wembley.

Guardiola said: “Of course I am concerned. I saw their game against Bournemouth, who are one of the teams I like to watch in the Premier

League. And I like the way they play.

“In the FA Cup every season there are a lot of surprises. Not just this season or last season – but for all of history. It will be important for the players not to think ahead to the final next Sunday.

“They can look to that after Monday. It is one game. We have a chance of getting to the quarter-finals. We will prepare as much as possible for this game.”

Guardiola is hell-bent on showing huge respect to the FA Cup and will resist fielding a seriously weakened team against a club which also knocked City out of the competition in 2014.

He added: “I have learned from my time here and in Germany that anything can happen. When you play at home that is not an issue.

“But if you play away in the tough conditions of November, December, January and February against teams like Wigan, then anything can happen.

“They are going to start so, so hard because they are so intense.

“They will be so aggressive without the ball so we will have to be ready.

“We now have depth in our squad. Ten days ago we had seven injuries but now most have recovered like David Silva and Fabian Delph so of course we will take it seriously.” STEVE MILLAR