Manchester City begins its FA Cup journey on Saturday when it hosts second division side Salford City in the third round.
The Cityzens endured several months of mediocrity and underperformance but bounced back with back-to-back wins over Leicester City and West Ham United in the Premier League. With games against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal coming up next month, Saturday may offer Pep Guardiola the opportunity to rest a number of senior players.
Salford, owned by a cohort of former Manchester United players, will be looking to cause a massive surprise to last season’s FA Cup finalists. Karl Robinson’s side have won their last six games without conceding a goal and will head to the Etihad Stadium full of confidence.
Here is 90 minutes Guide to Man City vs Salford.
Man City vs Salford H2H results
This is the first competitive game between Man City and Salford.
Current form (all competitions)
Man City | Salford |
|---|---|
Man City 4-1 West Ham – 01/04/25 | MK Dons 0-1 Salford – 01/04/25 |
Leicester 0-2 Man City – 12/29/24 | Harrogate 0-2 Salford – 01/01/25 |
Man City 1-1 Everton – 12/26/24 | Salford 1-0 Morecambe – 12/29/24 |
Aston Villa 2-1 Man City – 12/21/24 | Salford 3-0 Barrow – 12/26/24 |
Man City 1-2 Man Utd – 12/15/24 | Accrington 0-2 Salford – 21/12/24 |
country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website |
United States | ESPN+, ESPN app |
Canada | Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Now Plus |
Man City will likely be without numerous key players for Salford’s visit. John Stones and Ruben Dias are making progress in recovering from injuries but remain out, while Ederson is unlikely to feature despite his recent return to training.
Oscar Bobb is nearing a return but is still a long way from making a comeback after breaking his leg, while Rodri will almost certainly miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Young talents such as Nico O’Reilly, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and James McAtee could be given invaluable opportunities.
Predicted Man City line-up against Salford (3-2-4-1): Ortega; Walker, Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol; O’Reilly, Gundogan; Doku, McAtee, Nunes, Grealish; Haaland.
Salford have climbed up the League Two table in recent weeks and now sit in third place as they aim for automatic promotion to the third tier. Despite their struggle for league success, they are still likely to field their strongest XI at the Etihad.
Man City fans may recognize a few faces in the Salford squad on Saturday. Former Liverpool academy youth Ben Woodburn is an injury doubt, while ex-Everton defender Luke Garbutt will play in defence. 35-year-old Wales international James Chester briefly played for Man Utd as a youngster before spells at Hull City and Aston Villa.
Predicted line-up for Salford vs Man City (3-5-2): Young; Edwards, Negru, Berkoe; Taylor, Fornah, Ashley, Lund, Garbutt; Kouassi, Stockton.
Man City have an excellent chance to not only progress to the fourth round, but also secure a third win in a row while resting key players. Salford are not to be underestimated, but Guardiola’s side should secure a comfortable win on paper.
Man City’s defensive woes offer Robinson’s side a chance to get on the scoresheet at the Etihad, but it will likely only be a consolation as the hosts aim for a safe place in the next round.