Manchester City delivered a commanding performance at home, dismantling Salford City with an 8-0 victory in the FA Cup. The match on Wednesday night saw Pep Guardiola’s side demonstrate their depth and quality, even after making nine changes to the line-up that defeated West Ham United last weekend. Despite the absence of some key players, who remained on the bench as a precautionary measure, City showed their strength against a Salford side with notable ties to their city rivals, Manchester United.
Salford City, a fourth-tier club, holds significant connections to Manchester United through its co-owners, including Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and David Beckham. However, these ties were of little help as Manchester City took control of the game from the start. Jérémy Doku opened the scoring for City in the 8th minute, setting the tone for what would become a one-sided affair. Divin Mubama doubled their lead with a simple tap-in in the 20th minute. Before halftime, Nico O'Reilly added another goal, leaving Salford trailing significantly.
The second half saw Jack Grealish earn and convert a penalty in the 49th minute, extending City's lead further. James McAtee emerged as the star of the match, scoring three times in just 20 minutes. Doku assisted McAtee's first goal shortly after the hour mark, and McAtee continued his fine form with two more well-taken goals, sealing an emphatic victory for Manchester City. Doku also scored a penalty in the 69th minute, adding to Salford's woes.
Salford City manager Karl Robinson acknowledged the superiority of their opponents post-match.
"Man City and Pep have never disrespected anybody and tonight they showed us why they are what they are and why he is who he is," Robinson said.
He also reflected on his team's performance, highlighting their resilience despite the heavy defeat.
"I have told the players if someone had told me we would concede eight goals in seven games I would have taken it," Robinson remarked.
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