Sheehan calls on Swansea fans to 'not be silenced' against Man City

Alan Sheehan was appointed Swansea head coach on a permanent basis in April

Swansea City head coach Alan Sheehan has called on the home support to "not be silenced" when they try to topple Manchester City in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola's side have lifted the EFL Cup in six of the 12 seasons since the Swans famously beat Bradford in the final back in 2013.

There are 28 places between the two sides heading into Wednesday's match, with Manchester City fifth in the Premier League and Swansea City 13th in the Championship.

Sheehan says the Premier League giants will look to "frustrate" the home crowd, and has called on supporters to be vocal throughout to give them the best chance of claiming an upset.

"We want the fans to be right behind the team," said Sheehan.

"You're talking about a world class team that is going to try and quieten them as much as possible, so don't be silenced.

"Man City can frustrate you with the amount of the ball they have, we understand that we will have to be compact.

"We will have to control the spaces and when we're attacking we'll have to be incredibly clinical.

"We will have to be perfect in all elements and hope that some of their individuals have an off night and we'll have to try our best to capitalise on that."

Sheehan is in his first permanent head coach role, a stark comparison to the man in the opposite dugout on Wednesday night.

Few managers in history can claim to have had the success Guardiola has achieved.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss has won six Premier Leagues, three FA Cups, four EFL Cups and a Champions League during his nine years with Manchester City.

Despite the gulf in experience, Sheehan is excited by the prospect of going toe-to-toe with someone he says is one of the best ever.

"Obviously for me, someone very new in my managerial career, you understand what you're up against," said Sheehan.

"It was similar against Ange Postecoglou when we played against Nottingham Forest.

"It's an incredibly difficult task, but ultimately your job is to motivate the players, while respecting the opposition and what you're up against.

"But we want to be the best versions of ourselves and we have to be just that to be competitive against a team like this."

A chance at revenge?

Swansea City led 2-0 against Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup back in 2019

The last time Swans fans were able to watch their side face Manchester City in person, back in 2019, they were left heartbroken.

A Matt Grimes penalty and phenomenal team goal - finished off by Bersant Celina - had given the Swans a 2-0 lead in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup against a then-quadruple chasing Manchester City team.

A trip to Wembley looked on the cards until Guardiola's side rallied in the second half, with Sergio Aguero's 88th minute winner sending the Premier League side through with a 3-2 win.

The game was not without controversy. City's second goal was scored from the penalty spot despite Swansea defender Cameron Carter-Vickers appearing to have won the ball before bringing down Raheem Sterling.

And replays showed that Aguero was in an offside position when he headed Bernando Silva's cross in to win the game.

Sheehan was not part of the Swansea set-up at the time, but says he has heard the game being spoken about in the build up.

"There have been a few whispers here and there," said Sheehan.

"When we drew them one of the lads were saying we were unfortunate the last time.

"They were speaking about a dubious goal, I've heard about that.

"But that's what cup football is all about, there's memories to be created."