Manchester City advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Salford at the Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s fourth round clash.
The Premier League side had won 8-0 when both sides met in the third round last season, but only scored twice this time around.
It looked like it was going to be another long night for the visitors when they went behind to an early own goal from Alfie Dorrington.
Marc Guehi added a late second to seal the win, with his first goal for the club since arriving in a £20 million deal from Crystal Palace last month.
Pep Guardiola made nine changes to the lineup and his side went in front after only six minutes as Salford’a Dorrington put a cross from Rayan Ait Nouri into his own net.
Omar Marmoush then fired into the net but the flag went off for offside, while Salford threatened when Ben Woodburn tested James Trafford with a good effort as the first half ended 1-0 in favour of the hosts.
Man City continued to dominate possession in the second half, but the away side continued to give a good account of themselves and tested Trafford once again.
Guardiola them brought on Guehi, Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly as he hoped to assert more dominance on the clash.
The former Crystal Palace defender then added a second late on, when he was on hand to tap into the net after Matt Young had parried an effort from Rayan Cherki into his path.
Semenyo also struck the post later in the game, but Man City held on to for a 2-0 win to progress to the next round, ending Salford’s run.
The former Premier League champions will find out their opponents for the fifth round when the draws are conducted on Monday night before the clash between Brentford and Macclesfield.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
