Six reasons why there could be a huge upset at London Road

Six reasons why Posh can beat Manchester City by a man with his tongue firmly in his cheek while clutching many straws, writes Alan Swann.

1Posh beat Liverpool when no-one expected it (see above). Okay Liverpool were managed by grim Graeme Souness rather than the genius that is Pep Guardiola, and they had Steve Tanner, Michael Marsh and Gary

Ablett in their side rather than Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne and Joao Cancelo, but the Reds were two divisions higher than Posh whereas City are only one division, albeit 42 places, above Posh.

2

Hang on though. Will the biggest stars even play against Posh? City play Manchester United after they win at, sorry visit, London Road. They won’t want to expose anyone brittle to Jeando

Fuchs or Nathan Thompson. Sadly Oliver Norburn is suspended. The trouble is though City’s squad is so stacked their second team would probably go well in the Championship. Mind you their second team could also beat United.

3

Wigan Athletic beat City 1-0 in a fifth round FA Cup tie in 2018 so it can be done. Will Grigg even scored. City had Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Bernando

Silva, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones in their side, but had Fabian Delph sent off in the first-half. Wigan were in League One at the time.

4City must beware the new manager bounce. Bookies favourite Grant McCann won his first match as Posh boss in his previous stint at the club and he won his first game in two spells as a caretaker-manager. 5

There is barely enough room for Guardiola’s backroom staff in the away dressing room at the Weston Homes Stadium. The players will be sitting on uncomfortable benches. Of course we are not suggesting Posh adopt John Beck’s Cambridge tactics of turning the heat off, playing loud music in the corridors or stuffing a back of sugar in the teapot, but every little helps.

6

City are known for the thoroughness of their preparations, but unless they’ve found a cobbled street or ploughed field to train on they won’t be ready for the London Road playing surface.

The match will be a 13,200 sell out at the Weston Homes Stadium. City fans have been allocated the entire DeskGo Stand which holds 2,475 fans.