Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry urges his side to remain focused – EPL news
Manchester City midfielder http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gareth-Barry-c14423 insists his side will take nothing for granted ahead of their FA Cup final clash against fellow English Premier League side Stoke City.
The Citizens recorded an important 1-0 victory over derby rivals Manchester United in the semi-final whereas Stoke City thrashed Bolton Wanderers 5-0 to reach the final of the world’s oldest football competition.
The Blues are looking to end their 35-year long trophy drought as they have their eyes on the FA Cup title. Yaya Toure was the hero for the Citizens against United as he grabbed a 52nd minute winner to set up a finale against Stoke City.
Barry has emphasised that the victory over the Red Devils is massive but it will count for nothing if they fail to beat Stoke City in the FA Cup final on 14
May, 2011.
He said, “It is a massive moment for the club to reach the final. It has been a long wait. The victory means so much and you could tell by the celebrations. But the players, in the back of our minds, know we've won nothing yet.”
Furthermore, the 30-year-old stated that he is not expecting an easy game against the Potters at Wembley.
“The final is going to be as tough or even tougher. The pressure will be more on us, so we've got to learn from the United game and take that into the final,” he added.
In recent years, the Citizens have been able to close the gap on the Red Devils. After Sheikh Mansour’s cash injection, the club has been active in the transfer market and many high profile players have been recruited at Eastlands.
At present, Manchester City are placed fourth in the Premier League table after accumulating 56 points and are therefore looking set to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League. Winning the FA Cup title will certainly be an icing on the cake for them.
The Blues face Blackburn http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rovers-c40385 on 25 April, 2011 in their next Premier League encounter.
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