Man City vs Salford: FA Cup Third Round Preview, Predictions, and Lineups

Manchester City kick off their FA Cup campaign on Saturday with a third-round clash against League Two outfit Salford City at the Etihad Stadium.

The Cityzens, fresh from back-to-back Premier League wins, will be looking to maintain their momentum while managing their squad ahead of a grueling fixture schedule. Meanwhile, Salford, riding high on a six-match winning streak without conceding, will hope to pull off one of the greatest upsets in FA Cup history.

Match Details

• Location: Manchester, England
• Stadium: Etihad Stadium
• Date: Saturday, January 11, 2025
• Kick-off Time: 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET / 09:45 PT
• Referee: Joshua Smith

Head-to-Head Record

This is the first competitive meeting between Manchester City and Salford City.

Current Form (All Competitions)

Manchester City

• Man City 4-1 West Ham – 04/01/25
• Leicester 0-2 Man City – 29/12/24
• Man City 1-1 Everton – 26/12/24
• Aston Villa 2-1 Man City – 21/12/24
• Man City 1-2 Man Utd – 15/12/24

Salford City

• MK Dons 0-1 Salford – 04/01/25
• Harrogate 0-2 Salford – 01/01/25
• Salford 1-0 Morecambe – 29/12/24
• Salford 3-0 Barrow – 26/12/24
• Accrington 0-2 Salford – 21/12/24

Team News

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is expected to rotate heavily, with several first-team players unavailable.

• Out:
  • John Stones (injury)
  • Ruben Dias (injury)
  • Oscar Bobb (broken leg)
  • Rodri (ACL tear)
• Doubtful:
  • Ederson (recent return to training)

Young talents like Nico O’Reilly, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and James McAtee are likely to feature.

Predicted Man City Lineup (3-2-4-1):

• GK: Ortega
• DEF: Walker, Simpson-Pusey, Gvardiol
• MID: O’Reilly, Gundogan
• ATT MID: Doku, McAtee, Nunes, Grealish
• ST: Haaland

Salford City

Salford manager Karl Robinson will likely field his strongest lineup despite their League Two promotion push.

• Out:
  • Ben Woodburn (injury)
• Key Players:
  • James Chester, an experienced defender with Premier League pedigree
  • Luke Garbutt, a former Everton player

Predicted Salford Lineup (3-5-2):

• GK: Young
• DEF: Edwards, Negru, Berkoe
• MID: Taylor, Fornah, Ashley, Lund, Garbutt
• FWD: Kouassi, Stockton

Prediction

Manchester City are overwhelming favorites to progress, even with a rotated squad. Salford’s recent form and defensive resilience could make them competitive, but Guardiola’s side should have too much firepower.

Salford might find the net against City’s shaky backline, but it will likely be a consolation in a game dominated by the Premier League champions.

Score Prediction: Manchester City 4-1 Salford City