Manchester City will host Plymouth Argyle at the Etihad in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday evening, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.
Manchester City are undoubtedly the better team heading into this game vs Plymouth Argyle, and they will be expected to produce a strong performance and grind out a positive result to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The home side have not been at their best in recent weeks, and they are coming into the game on the back of three defeats from the last five matches. However, Pep Guardiola’s men clinched a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Argyle have failed to win their last three matches in all competitions, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly and pull off an upset. The EFL Championship outfit managed to eliminate Liverpool in the last round of the competition, and they will certainly fancy their chances against a vulnerable Manchester City side.
Manchester City will look to get their season back on track, and a comprehensive victory could lift the spirits around the club. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
The Premier League champions will be without Rodri due to his long-term knee issue. In addition, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Oscar Bobb are on the sidelines. Manchester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Plymouth Argyle, with Stefan Ortega in goal.
Matheus Nunes and Nathan Ake will start in the full-back areas, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez and Ilkay Gundogan will add creativity and composure to the side in the middle of the park. James McAtee will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Savinho and Omar Marmoush will start on the flanks, and they will add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Nunes, Reis, Khusanov, Ake; Gonzalez, Gundogan; Savinho, McAtee, Marmoush; Haaland
Plymouth Argyle
The away side will be without Joe Edwards and Brendan Galloway. Muhamed Tijani and Ryan Hardie will miss out with hamstring issues as well. Plymouth Argyle are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Conor Hazard in goal.
Julio Pleguezuelo will start alongside Nikola Katic and Maksym Talovyerov in the central defensive unit. Matthew Sorinola and Tymoteusz Puchacz will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and hit Manchester City on the break here.
Adam Randell and Jordan Houghton will add a defensive cover and physicality to the side. Callum Wright and Rami Al Hajj will start as the advanced central midfielders, and they will look to create opportunities for their teammates. Finally, Mustapha Bundu will spearhead the Plymouth Argyle attack vs Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hazard; Pleguezuelo, Katic, Talovierov; Sorinola, Randell, Houghton, Puchacz; Wright, Al Hajj; Bundu
Key Stats
- Plymouth Argyle have won three of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Manchester City have picked up three wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
- Plymouth Argyle have conceded in five of their last six outings.
- Manchester City have conceded in four of their last six outings.
- Since his debut in the competition in January 2016, no player has been involved in more FA Cup goals (first round onwards) than Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (26 – G9, A17). The Belgian netted the winner at Leyton Orient in the last round.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian striker is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to add to his goal tally for the season. He is one of the best players in the world, and Plymouth Argyle could struggle to contain him. The away side have looked vulnerable defensively in recent weeks, and the Manchester City striker could punish them with his finishing ability and movement in the final third.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-0 Plymouth Argyle
Manchester City have not been at their best in recent months, but they are certainly the better team here, and they should be able to grind out a comfortable victory at home. The home side have enough quality in the final third to bypass the away defence and create multiple goalscoring opportunities.
Players like Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush are likely to punish Plymouth Argyle with their clinical finishing, and a comfortable home win for the Premier League side is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 victory for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
