Manchester City Fan View: 3 things we learnt from City's win over Huddersfield

Manchester City came from behind to earn a 5-1 win over Championship outfit Huddersfield and book their place in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

Here are three things we learnt from the game on Wednesday evening.

Aleix Garcia is proof that City’s youngsters can make an impact in the first team

Former City academy player Harry Bunn, released by the Blues back in 2014, opened the scoring at the Etihad, whilst fellow scholar Tom Smith also came on for the final half an hour. Obviously, the former academy lads are not the calibre of player to which City have now become accustomed and they would be far from their first team if he was still in Manchester.

But their contributions to the game, particularly the goal, provides City fans and Pep Guardiola alike with the knowledge that their academy is capable of producing top tier talents.

Ahead of the FA Cup replay, Guardiola laid down the gauntlet to the young stars available at his disposal, stating that he is not afraid to utilise them in the first team, so long as they prove their worth to him and the other coaches at the club.

“They are four or five guys, maybe more, we believe they have enough talent to help us in the future and we will be delighted. But it depends on them and depends on their quality,” he said.

“I am a guy who I am not afraid to put the people on the pitch – but they have to convince me – in every single training session, in every game – I can trust them”

Aleix Garcia will be one of those to have especially caught his manager’s eye, with the Spaniard having been given minutes earlier in the season. His last start was against Manchester United in the EFL Cup three months ago. However, with Ilkay Gundogan injured and Yaya Toure having played the majority of minutes in the dictating midfield role of late, Garcia’s incorporation could ease the burden on more senior stars and enable him to demonstrate what he can do.

Guardiola might want to sell Claudio Bravo in the summer

The single Huddersfield goal came in the 6th minute – a low shot straight at Claudio Bravo which he really ought to have kept out.

Before the game, Guardiola admitted that he will be choosing his goalkeeper on a game-to-game basis. However, with shot stopper Bravo doing anything but shot stopping and Joe Hart unlikely to return, Willy Caballero will seemingly be the first choice goalkeeper on a regular basis.

Recent reports have indicated that Bundesliga side RB Leipzig are interested in ending Bravo’s nightmare in Manchester and City could well cash in on a signing who has seemingly struggled to adapt to the English footballing climate.

Meanwhile Aguero should be going nowhere

City’s Argentine ace Sergio Aguero bagged a brace – his second in the space of a week – to send City through to the next round of the FA Cup, where they will face Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

With Gabriel Jesus out injured, the Blues have turned to their trusted talisman in recent weeks as they look to press on with their campaign in pursuit of silverware.

It wasn’t just his two goals, however, which impressed the supporters at the Etihad on Wednesday evening; his work rate, criticised of late, was exceptional and his tenacity in terms of defensive contributions, tracking back and pressing from the front was appreciated.

His unselfishness, too, to lay the ball on a plate for his compatriot Pablo Zabaleta to tap home was well received. The annual rumours about a summer switch to Real Madrid resurfaced at the beginning of the week, but by the end of it, they could well have faded away once more.