A spot in the FA Cup fifth round will be on the line when Manchester City and Salford City clash at the Etihad in the fourth round on Saturday.
The fourth round of the 2025/26 FA Cup will continue on Saturday, with eight matches scheduled for the day. The action will start with the game between Burton Albion and West Ham United before continuing with five matches, including Manchester City vs Salford City at the Etihad.
Manchester City reached the FA Cup fourth round by cruising to a 10-1 win over Exeter City in the previous stage. That was the first victory of the year for Pep Guardiola’s men, who have kick-started a run of seven wins in ten games, losing only twice during this period. The latest victory has helped them reduce the gap to Arsenal to four points in the Premier League.
On the other hand, Salford City entered the 2025/26 FA Cup in the first round and beat Lincoln City in the penalty shootout before getting past Leyton Orient and Swindon Town in the next two stages. However, the away side’s recent form has been sketchy, as they have won only two of their four subsequent clashes.
Manchester City and Salford City also clashed in the FA Cup last season, with Pep Guardiola’s men cruising to an 8-0 win. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester City manager may be bereft of the services of five first-team players vs Salford City on Saturday.
Guardiola has been sweating over Erling Haaland’s fitness after the Norwegian striker sustained a knock in the Premier League clash with Fulham earlier this week. The 25-year-old faces a late fitness test to determine his availability. However, John Stones should be in contention to take on Salford City this weekend. Meanwhile, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, Jeremy Doku, and Savinho remain in the treatment room.
James Trafford will replace Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of him vs Salford City on Saturday. The backline will feature Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Max Alleyne, and Nathan Ake.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez will reprise the anchor role, with Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden being the two attacking midfielders. Finally, Omar Marmoush will lead the line for Manchester City against Salford City, with Ryan McAidoo and Rayan Cherki completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Trafford; Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Ake; Gonzalez; McAidoo, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki; Marmoush
Salford City
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Karl Robinson has no new issues to worry about ahead of the short trip to the Etihad. The Salford City manager may be without seven first-team players on Saturday.
Jay Bird and Tom Edwards are long-term absentees, while Ade Oluwo, Michael Rose, and Kadeem Harris are closing in on returning. Meanwhile, Haji Mnoga and Brandon Cooper face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Matthew Young will take his spot between the sticks, with Salford City lining up in a 3-1-4-2 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Ollie Turton, Alfie Dorrington, and captain Luke Garbutt. Meanwhile, Rosaire Longelo and Kelly N’Mai will start as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, Matt Butcher will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Jorge Grant and Ben Woodburn being the two attacking midfielders. Finally, Ryan Graydon and Daniel Udoh will be the two strikers for the away side against Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-1-4-2): Young; Turton, Dorrington, Garbutt; Butcher; Longelo, Grant, Woodburn, N’Mai; Graydon, Udoh
Key Stats
- Saturday’s clash will be the second-ever meeting between Manchester City and Salford City, with the Citizens winning 8-0 in the FA Cup third round last season.
- Salford City have lost all three competitive meetings with Premier League sides by an aggregate score of 15-0.
- Manchester City have won their last 20 matches in the FA Cup against sides from outside the Premier League, scoring 82 goals. At home, they have won their 11 most recent such games by an aggregate score of 59-5, cruising to a 10-1 victory over Exeter City in the third round at the Etihad.
- Salford City are playing in the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their brief history. The last time a side from the fourth division or lower eliminated a team in the top three of the top flight was February 1971, with Colchester United beating the league-leading Leeds United in the fifth round.
- Manchester City are on a three-match winning run heading into the FA Cup clash with Salford City. On the other hand, the visitors have won only one of their last three games.
Player to Watch
Omar Marmoush
While Rayan Cherki, Ryan Graydon, and Daniel Udoh were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Omar Marmoush as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s FA Cup clash between Manchester City and Salford City at the Etihad.
With Erling Haaland being the undisputed first-choice striker for Manchester City, regular game time has eluded Marmoush. That led to speculation surrounding the Egyptian attacker’s long-term future before Manchester City pulled the plug on a winter exit. So, Saturday’s clash will provide an opportunity to Marmoush as he looks to resurrect his fortunes in the second half of the 2025/26 season.
Prediction
Manchester City 5-0 Salford City
Saturday’s match will be a one-way street, even though Pep Guardiola will rotate his troops and name a much-changed starting eleven. Additionally, with Salford City yet to score a single goal in competitive games against Premier League opponents, it is difficult to see anything other than a clean sheet for the home side.
Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki will look to make a statement in Saturday’s FA Cup clash, with the duo likely to find the back of the net this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a straightforward 5-0 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges, with the hosts having multiple scorers.
