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Hornets, where is thy sting?

Today's FA Cup final between Manchester City and Watford may seem like a one sided affair, but football can always spring surprises. Manchester City clearly have a superb side, but they may be tired after all the efforts they made to win the Premier League in a thrilling contest with Liverpool.

The challenge for a club like Watford just outside the top six is how to sustain their success without being sucked into a relegation battle in future seasons. The Hornets may seem secure enough, but I would not have expected Brighton to be in such a perilous position at the end of the season.

In the Premier League we have seen a succession of clubs apparently consolidate their position in the top flight and then fall away. Stoke City, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion were all relegated and Southampton were in constant danger this season.

I am not implying that Watford are complacent: quite the contrary. However, breaking through the glass ceiling below the top six is a big challenge and it is easy to slip away. Winning the FA Cup would be a big boost for the club.

This article looks at the big gap between the finances of Manchester City and Watford: Can Watford halt City?

It seems that the initial inquiry into Manchester City's affairs has recommended that they be banned from the Champions League for alleged financial irregularities. According to the Financial Times the decision is the result of weeks of 'fierce deliberation'. A source told the Pink 'Un:'People here [at Uefa] are terrified of the big clubs, but the evidence was damning.'

If you want to make an example of a club 'pour encourager les autres', there are fewer clubs that represent a bigger catch than City (and Paris Saint-Germain have apparently got off the hook).

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