After their late winner against Sheffield Wednesday in the 3rd Round, Manchester City have been drawn against another Championship side in Middlesbrough in the 4th Round.
This is the first time since City have come up against Boro in over five years, with the last match coming in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup in the 2009-10 season. Benjani scored the winner for The Blues that day at the Riverside Stadium.
However, the only recent match against Middlesbrough that sticks in the mind of a City fan doesn’t bear thinking about – that 8-1 loss almost seven years ago. The Blues have enjoyed better luck against Boro since that fateful day, and the only player who was in the squad that day who is still at the club now is Joe Hart, who was second-choice to Andreas Isaksson in that game.
This will be Middlesbrough’s first visit to City in the FA Cup since February 1997, when they managed to emerge from Maine Road with an early Juninho goal sealing the win for Boro.
This season’s tie will take place over the weekend of the 24th and 25th of January, with the date yet to be decided for the Etihad Stadium clash.
