I didn't expect what Man City fans did vs Salford as Gary Neville and Kevin De Bruyne sent message
Manchester City eased into the FA Cup fourth round with a huge victory over Salford City of League Two.
City were always expected to win this FA Cup tie, which carried the extra spice of a first meeting between the two local sides and Salford's Manchester United-linked ownership.
Gary Neville wasn't at the Etihad, but Ryan Giggs was in the dugout and Paul Scholes sat next to Nicky Butt in the director's box. Jeremy Doku, Divin Mubama, Jack Grealish, Nico O'Reilly and a James McAtee hat-trick completed a comprehensive win.
READ MORE: Kyle Walker will not get sympathy - but he deserves a better Man City end
These are the moments you might have missed from the FA Cup third round clash.
City fans mock Neville and make De Bruyne point
After some ill-timed comments from Kevin De Bruyne about the Etihad crowd last week, this could have been a stale atmosphere by the nature of a home FA Cup clash against fourth-tier opposition. But a first meeting with Salford - and their obvious Manchester United connections - gave the Blues support plenty of reasons to go through their derby songbooks.
Just 10 seconds had gone when the first insult to Gary Neville was aired, with plenty more anti-United chants throughout the evening, helped by the fact that the away fans were up in the third tier of the South Stand freeing up home supporters to occupy the whole of the lower tier.
Ditties about Ryan Giggs and co were also sung, with Giggs on the Salford bench as their Director of Football. The United legend had wandered out for a pre-match stroll and some City fans (or hospitality guests) had stopped him for a photo. The official photographers were trained on him pre-match, too, with Guardiola embracing his golf buddy with a hug while Scholes and Butt watched on from the director's box.
At 6-0, City fans asked Neville (not here) what the score was as they did six became seven. Soon after, an impromptu Poznan stretched around the full lower bowl.
City fans have had little to cheer recently, and have been questioned by their vice captain even during a rare win. They were brilliant at Leicester, but this was a jubilant Etihad atmosphere not experienced for months.
And all it took for this cathartic experience was a huge win over a side owned by a group of United legends. It's the simple things - and Giggs looked stoney-faced when trudging down the tunnel at full-time as Blues fans mocked him.
Pep's standards remain sky high
Make no mistake, this was never going to be a game Pep Guardiola took lightly. His team sheet saw nine changes and three academy players selected, plus McAtee - but the challenge was clear for the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Grealish and Doku to perform, especially with Kyle Walker bombed out all together.
In his programme notes, Guardiola made it clear that his post-match message from last week remained pertinent. "Our last game against West Ham was good in terms of the result but it's clear our level is still not where we want it to be or where it has been the last eight years," he wrote. "We all know we have a lot of hard work ahead to get back to our best."
Guardiola will have been pleased to see City approach the contest professionally and race into an early two-goal lead - but he was clearly keen for more as he called the entire XI over during a stoppage to issue lengthy and animated instructions midway through the first half. Then he offered more individual advice to Savinho during a stoppage, and was bemoaning loss of possession if Salford were allowed to break.
Grealish's muted celebration
A first goal in 13 months for Grealish was met with a muted celebration, even if he went some way to answering Guardiola's public challenge to him last week.
Match Savinho's end product was the message, and Grealish ended a productive evening in a free number 10 role with a goal and two assists. Maybe he should have shot first time when cutting back and tempting a penalty that he converted, but the spot kick was confident and he deserved his goal.
There were no emotional, exuberant celebrations, though, as Grealish simply smiled and aimed a number of kisses towards the sky, or perhaps his family in the stands.
It has been a tough period for Grealish, but his performance here showed he is still willing to fight for his place and he must now build on this against more testing opposition.
Guardiola and Doku feel the love
Doku was another to feel the challenge from Guardiola, even if he wasn't named directly. If end product is what the manager wants, then how about two well-taken goals and two assists. He is now on five goals and six assists for the term.
Matheus Nunes did well, too, assisting Divin Mubama and playing some nice passes from the middle - all while deputising at full-back. McAtee's hat-trick will add to calls to play him more in a month where he could look to leave, and Phil Foden's cameo was impressive.
Guardiola was unhappy in the first half with slipping standards, but will have been happy overall with a number of individuals. When Doku was replaced, Guardiola stopped him, the pair shared a laugh and a hug, and it was smiles all round.
It was more emotion than the boss usually shows to substitutes coming off.
