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Manchester City 2-0 Salford City - FA Cup Fourth Round
Match Summary
Manchester City advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-0 victory over League Two side Salford City at the Etihad Stadium.[1] Despite the comfortable scoreline, Pep Guardiola's side produced a far-from-convincing performance, with nine changes made to the starting lineup.[1][2]
Goals and Key Moments
City took the lead in the sixth minute through an unfortunate own goal by Salford's Alfie Dorrington, who turned a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri into his own net.[1][3] The early goal robbed the contest of intensity, and City effectively went through the motions thereafter.[1] Marc Guehi sealed the victory nine minutes from time with his first goal for the club, pouncing on a rebound from Rayan Cherki's low cross.[1][3]
Salford's Spirited Performance
Despite their lower league status, Salford provided a spirited challenge to the defending champions.[3] Former Liverpool midfielder Ben Woodburn forced an excellent save from James Trafford before halftime, with the goalkeeper making a superb diving save.[1][3] Salford also created clear-cut opportunities, including a golden chance in the box when Josh Austerfield mistimed his connection, and Brandon Cooper's header that went narrowly wide from a corner.[3]
Context
This represented a dramatic improvement for Salford compared to their last encounter with City, who had thrashed them 8-0 in the FA Cup last season.[1][2] Salford are part-owned by former Manchester United players Gary Neville and David Beckham.[1] Following the match, manager Karl Robinson, who recently extended his contract, will hope his side can build on this strong performance as they pursue League Two promotion.[3]
Substitutes Impact
Guardiola's use of substitutes, including Antoine Semenyo and Nico O'Reilly, helped City control the latter stages, with Semenyo hitting the post in the closing minutes.[1][2]