Gabriel Jesus' Early Goal Powers Manchester City Past Brighton to FA Cup Final
Manchester City reached the 2019 FA Cup final for the first time since 2013 after edging past Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in a tense semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Gabriel Jesus' fourth-minute header helped the Citizens maintain their bid to win an unprecedented quadruple of trophies this season.
There was some controversy when City right-back Kyle Walker escaped a red card, even after video review, following a clash of heads with Brighton's Alireza Jahanbakhsh in the first half.
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Gabriel Jesus Should Start Alongside Sergio Aguero
Gabriel Jesus' apprenticeship as Sergio Aguero's deputy should be over. It's time for the Brazilian to start alongside City's prolific No. 10 on a regular basis.
Jesus' credentials as a striker who is more than a means to give Aguero a rest were underlined when he headed in from close range after just four minutes.
The simple finish continued a terrific run in this competition:
Yet lest anyone dubs Jesus merely City's man for the cups, the South American has produced whenever and wherever he's played throughout this season:
Those numbers more than hint at what is possible if Jesus and Aguero were paired together up top more often. It's a ploy manager Pep Guardiola utilised during the early stages of last season and one the Citizens still have the personnel to accommodate.
Aside from his finishing, the best quality of Jesus' game is his movement. The 22-year-old is particularly adept at peeling onto the left flank and creating room for others to drift centrally.
It's helped Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne pose a goal threat at different times. If Guardiola didn't want to start two strikers centrally, he could surely put Jesus left and leave Aguero as the focal point in the middle.
Guardiola isn't averse to moving central players out wide. He's done it to great effect with Bernardo Silva recently.
Silva could return to the heart of midfield to allow Jesus to start wide and Sterling to move over to the left. City would then be able to maintain a front three, but a forward line with even greater scoring prowess.
Given how much Guardiola's one-striker setup struggled to create chances after a fast start at Wembley, starting Jesus alongside Aguero could give City the edge for the run-in.
Ilkay Gundogan Now More Important Than Fernandinho
Ilkay Gundogan is more than a mere credible alternative to Fernandinho in the vital holding role at the base of City's midfield. Instead, Gundogan is now more important than the tenacious Brazil international.
Fernandinho is a master at winning the ball and maintaining his position as a screen in front of the back four. Yet Gundogan gives City a more cultured player to dictate play through all three phases of the team.
The former Borussia Dortmund playmaker's eye for a pass between the lines helps ensure quicker transitions from defence to attack. Gundogan also has the technique and patience to recycle possession more efficiently at the heart of midfield.
It's a vital quality since keeping the ball is City's best means of maintaining a strong defensive record.
Gundogan's role in the latter means he's a player Guardiola can't afford to lose this summer.
The manager should put pressure on his club to get a new contract sorted for a midfielder becoming increasingly influential now he's free from injury.
Replacing Fernandinho when he's been suspended or injured has posed a problem for Guardiola in the past. The fact his only natural destroyer is 33 only accelerates the need to think about the future at the position.
Fortunately, it's a problem Gundogan is starting to solve.
What's Next?
City take on Tottenham Hotspur away in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Brighton host Bournemouth on Saturday in a crucial match for the Seagulls' bid to avoid relegation from England's top flight.
