Manchester City vs Salford - LIVE!

Man City look set to cruise into the fourth round of the FA Cup after a clinical first-half against Salford. The League Two side make the short trip across Manchester to the Etihad Stadium and it is a big night for the club and and particularly for the Class of 92 owners, but City lead 3-0 after goals from Jeremy Doku, Divin Mubama and Nico O'Reilly.

Pep Guardiola’s side have started to steady the ship, with this set to be their third win on the bounce. Having already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and with their Premier League title bid effectively over, the FA Cup could prove to be City’s best hope of avoiding a first trophyless season since the 2016/17 campaign.

Salford are playing in the third round of the FA Cup for the first time and come into this tie in confident mood, having won their last six matches without conceding a goal to rise up to third in League Two. Ryan Giggs is in the dugout, with the former Manchester United winger among the famous co-owners. Follow all the action from the Etihad with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog below!

Man City vs Salford latest news

• GOAL! Grealish converts penalty

• GOAL! O'Reilly adds third before half-time

• GOAL! Mubama with debut goal

• GOAL! Doku gives Man City early lead

• How to watch: BBC One

Man City 4-0 Salford

18:58 , Matt Verri

53 mins: Shephard with a decent ball in, Akanji there to hack it away in the six-yard box.

The Salford full-back then gets to the byline, stands up a cross to the back post but the offside flag is up.

Man City 4-0 Salford

18:56 , Matt Verri

51 mins: Salford win a corner in front of the away fans. Can they give them something to cheer?

No. Swung deep to the back post, over everyone and City clear.

GOAL! Man City 4-0 Salford | Jack Grealish 49'

18:54 , Matt Verri

Grealish will take this penalty, looking to score his first Man City goal since December 2023.

And he does! Cooly taken, goalkeeper sent the wrong way.

PENALTY MAN CITY!

18:53 , Matt Verri

A complete shambles at the back from Salford, Mubama cuts out a terrible back pass.

City should really just score, but Grealish opts to chop back rather than just shooting... and he’s brought down.

Back underway!

18:50 , Matt Verri

Here we go again.

Akanji on at the break for Man City, replacing Ake.

Mubama up and running!

18:40 , Matt Verri

Divin Mubama is making his Man City debut this evening, having joined from West Ham in the summer.

Hasn’t taken long to get off the mark - helps he was left with the simplest of finishes.

HT: Man City 3-0 Salford

18:34 , Matt Verri

That’s half-time at the Etihad.

City have been clinical when their chances have come, goals from Doku, Mubama and O’Reilly in a dominant showing.

Man City 3-0 Salford

18:32 , Matt Verri

45+2 mins: Salford just cannot deal with Doku.

He shrugs off the challenge again and slides a pass through to Mubama - he would have been clean through but the offside flag goes up.

Man City 3-0 Salford

18:31 , Matt Verri

45 mins: Three minutes added on.

Would estimate that’s about three more than Salford want.

GOAL! Man City 3-0 Salford | Nico O'Reilly 43'

18:29 , Matt Verri

And that’s basically game over you’d think.

No surprise that it came down City’s left, where they have been a real threat.

Doku involved, goes on the outside and cuts it back to O’Reilly, who drills a low finish into the far corner.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:27 , Matt Verri

41 mins: At the other end, Salford do win a free-kick.

Taken short, Adelakun then clips a superb ball into the middle but nobody can get a meaningful touch for Salford. Kouassi should really have scored.

Straight back on the attack, Berkoe slices an effort wide.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:25 , Matt Verri

40 mins: Savinho skips away from Garbutt, goes down... and the referee waves him back up.

Replays suggest he’s been fairly hard done by there, looked like a foul.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:23 , Matt Verri

38 mins: Doku’s turn to chop onto his right foot and lash an effort at goal, Salford have enough bodies back to block.

City starting to pin Salford back again, after a decent spell for the visitors.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:21 , Matt Verri

35 mins: Kouassi with a strong run into the box, shrugging off the challenges and working space for the shot on his right foot.

Tries to reverse the effort low into the bottom corner, but it’s a comfortable save for Ederson.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:20 , Matt Verri

34 mins: Tilt forced into action again, conceding the corner just as Grealish thought he was in.

Salford deal with it well again and Berkoe tries to get them up the pitch, but Savinho is back well to win it back for City.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:17 , Matt Verri

31 mins: All gone a bit low-key. City completely in control, but not really forcing the pace.

Fun is coming whenever they play it to the left and Doku has space.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:13 , Matt Verri

28 mins: Young fine to continue, for now at least.

Doku has another run at Shephard, who really wants no part of that battle, particularly now he’s on a yellow.

He’s very grateful that Lund gets across to help out.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:11 , Matt Verri

25 mins: Young, the Salford goalkeeper, has gone down.

The 18-year-old signals to the bench, physios on to give him some treatment.

Robinson calls the rest of his players over for a team-talk. Better be a special one.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:09 , Matt Verri

23 mins: Savinho ends up in the photographer’s pit, which he’s blaming Tilt for.

Not happy with the Salford defender, who did try and help him up but quickly realised he wasn’t a popular man.

Man City 2-0 Salford

18:08 , Matt Verri

22 mins: Can confirm Shephard did indeed get booked for wiping Doku out.

Already shaping up to be a long night for Salford.

GOAL! Man City 2-0 Salford | Divin Mubama 20'

18:06 , Matt Verri

At this rate the ball isn’t going out of play again and the referee might forget. Been a couple of minutes now.

But City don’t care about that - they have a second!

Mubama on debut taps in from a couple of yards out after a lovely move.

Savinho played Nunes through, he dinked it across the face of goal and Mubama couldn’t miss.

Man City 1-0 Salford

18:04 , Matt Verri

18 mins: Dear me - Shephard has just absolutely cleaned out Doku.

Man City winger flicked it away from him, and the defender came flying in from behind. Awful challenge.

Advantage played but I imagine we’ll be going back to that very shortly.

Man City 1-0 Salford

18:02 , Matt Verri

16 mins: Better from Grealish, who has looked fairly bright.

Sharp turn in midfield, drives at goal and his shot from just outside the area is deflected behind for a corner.

Savinho swings it in... cleared off the line!

Ake looped a header back at goal, Kouassi there to hack it away.

Man City 1-0 Salford

17:59 , Matt Verri

14 mins: Salford have had a couple of decent moments going forward, but that’s then leaving them vulnerable at the back.

City break and McAtee has all sorts of space to drive into. Tries to play Savinho in behind, but badly overhits the pass.

Man City 1-0 Salford

17:58 , Matt Verri

12 mins: Won’t stun you to hear that City are seeing a fair amount of the ball.

Or that Doku is fancying his chances of running with the ball every time he gets it.

Tries his luck from distance this time, dragged wide from 25 yards out.

Man City 1-0 Salford

17:55 , Matt Verri

9 mins: Would have been a decent response!

Salford swing a cross in from deep, Lund gets up above Ake and loops a header onto the roof of the net.

GOAL! Man City 1-0 Salford | Jeremy Doku 8'

17:54 , Matt Verri

Well that didn’t take long!

Salford lose the ball in midfield and all of a sudden City have numbers flying into space.

Grealish can slide the pass through to Doku, who curls a finish into the far corner.

Goalkeeper got a touch but it wasn’t enough.

Man City 0-0 Salford

17:52

6 mins: Doku gets to the byline and wins a first corner of the match for Man City.

Tilt there in his own six-yard box to head Grealish’s delivery away. Salford will be absolutely furious with themselves if they let City take the lead from a set-piece.

Man City 0-0 Salford

17:50 , Matt Verri

4 mins: Savinho drifts inside, more inside, more inside, even more inside, but still can’t find room for the shot with his left foot.

Lays it off to O'Reilly, who slices his effort high and wide.

Man City 0-0 Salford

17:48 , Matt Verri

2 mins: It looks like a fairly traditional back four for Man City.

Nunes is at right-back, with O'Reilly filling it at left-back. Neither will be expecting to do too much defending.

KICK-OFF!

17:46 , Matt Verri

Underway at the Etihad!

Here we go!

17:43 , Matt Verri

Teams are out onto the pitch, handshakes done.

Time to get up and running!

Grealish looking to end year-long wait

17:35 , Matt Verri

Jack Grealish hasn’t scored for Man City in more than a year.

His last goal for the club came in December 2023 - almost hard to believe.

Up against League Two opposition here, he really does have to catch the eye.

What system will it be?

17:26 , Matt Verri

Just the two defenders named in the starting lineup by Pep Guardiola.

Anyone’s guess what that means for the Man City formation, but could be some sort of back three, with Simpson-Pusey, Ake, and Nunes.

Gundogan in front of them... and then everyone else having fun in attack.

One shock already...

17:16 , Matt Verri

Hasn’t been a huge amount in the way of upsets so far in the FA Cup today.

There was one at Brentford though, as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the Championship and hadn’t won away from home all season, stunned the Bees.

Salford knocking out Man City would be on a whole different level to that...

No Walker for Man City

17:08

Kyle Walker has been left out of the Manchester City squad.

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that’s not due to injury or illness, but rather a “tactical” decision.

Walker has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this month.

Salford team news

16:59 , Matt Verri

Starting XI: Young, Berkoe, Mnoga, Tilt, Garbutt, Lund, Ashley, Fornah, Adelakun, Kouassi, Shephard

Subs: Jones, Watson, Stockton, Taylor, Chester, McAleny, Malcolm, Heys, Wright

Guardiola shuffles pack

16:55 , Matt Verri

Plenty of changes for Man City... and not a lot of defenders.

Big chance for Mubama as he leads the line this evening, while Simpson-Pusey starts at right-back and both O’Reilly and McAtee start.

Feel like Grealish needs a big match too - has to to show he deserves more Premier League minutes.

Haaland, Foden and De Bruyne among those on a very, very, very strong bench.

Man City team news

16:46 , Matt Verri

Starting XI: Ederson, Simpson-Pusey, Ake, Nunes, Gundogan, O'Reilly, McAtee, Doku, Grealish, Savinho, Mubama

Subs: Ortega, Kovacic, Haaland, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Gvardiol, Akanji, Foden, Lewis

Stand by...

16:38 , Matt Verri

All the team news from the Etihad coming up in just over five minutes.

Just how strong will Pep Guardiola go?

Robinson: Important we don't let ourselves down

16:28 , Matt Verri

Karl Robinson will not be judging his Salford players only on the result, as he admitted that could be “taken out of your hands” by Man City’s quality.

"There's only one important aspect and that's the result but when you go against a team that's so strong and they've got so much quality, there is another side of winning, and that's that we don't let ourselves down," Robinson added.

"If we do all of the controllables at the weekend then in my mind my players will have won.

“The result will be a by-product of that, granted, but the result is always taken out of your hands by the quality of the opposition."

Guardiola taking on 'neighbours'

16:17 , Matt Verri

Pep Guardiola has insisted Man City will have “huge respect” for Salford, who come into this match on a run of six straight wins without conceding a goal.

“I’ve lived in Salford for the last eight years so I will be playing against my neighbourhood, my home town,” Guardiola said.

“I have a lot of respect for the manager [Karl Robinson], we played years ago at Oxford and when he was assistant to Sam Allardyce at Leeds.

“The last six games, six clean sheets and six victories so I have huge respect for them and what they do, the intensity and we will take it seriously like we always have done.

“Hopefully we can do a good game and make it three wins in a row – it’s a long time since it happened.”

Huge afternoon for Class of 92

16:07 , Matt Verri

Gary Neville joined Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, along with Singapore businessman Peter Lim, in completing a takeover at Salford in 2014.

David Beckham joined five years later by taking a 10% stake at the club. The Class of 92 own 60% of the club between them, with Lim holding the other 40%.

Under the ownership, Salford achieved four promotions in five seasons to rise from the eighth tier to the English Football League, and have been in League Two since 2019.

Giggs is director of football at Salford and has been in the dugout alongside manager Robinson for matches this season. Scholes, who was appointed caretaker manager after Graham Alexander’s departure in 2020, is the head of recruitment.

Speaking about the Class of 92’s influence at the club, Robinson recently said: "It's funny when you're speaking to players, at half-time you're trying to say to one of your wide players, maybe if you do this.

“Then you look across the room and see Ryan and think 'you might be better to explain this one than me'.

“Then you're speaking to players at the training ground, about trying to find passes through lines and you've got Paul (Scholes) sat there."

Guardiola sends warning to Grealish

15:56 , Matt Verri

Pep Guardiola has explained why Jack Grealish is not receiving much game time.

Grealish has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester City amid a decline in his output, with the Englishman having made just two goal contributions in 19 appearances in all competitions for City this season.

The 29-year-old, who cost £100million when he joined City from Aston Villa in 2021, did not make the squad for the recent 1-1 draw with Everton, was an unused substitute in last Sunday’s 2-0 win over Leicester, and played just six minutes on Saturday in the 4-1 win over West Ham.

Grealish has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in recent weeks due to his decreasing involvement for City.

Savinho, 20, is one winger whose stocks have risen hugely in the same period. The Brazilian picked up three assists in the recent win against the Hammers.

Asked what Grealish must do to dislodge the likes of Savinho, Guardiola replied: “It’s easy. He has to compete. Right now, Savinho is in better shape than Jack. That’s why I play Savinho.

“What happened with Savinho’s delivery in the box [is that] it’s higher than the other wingers in that position, and they have to fight.”

Speaking about those of his attackers struggling for regular minutes, the City manager said: “They have to prove, ‘Okay, I am going to fight with Savinho to deserve to play in that position — in every single day, in every single week, in every single month.”

Stage is set!

15:47 , Matt Verri

It’s a very cold afternoon in Manchester...

Standard Sport prediction

15:38 , Matt Verri

There’s a huge amount of narrative of course but it’s difficult to see City losing at home to a League Two side.

Even a weakened win comfortably, and Guardiola is expected to field some first-team starts to get the job done.

Man City to win, 3-0.

Man City team news

15:30 , Matt Verri

Manchester City are expected to rotate for this evening’s clash.

Ederson has recently returned to training for City and is available, but Ruben Dias remains out with a muscle injury. John Stones is also still on the sidelines.

Oscar Bobb has returned to training as he steps up his recovery from a fractured leg suffered in the summer, with Guardiola providing a fresh update at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

The City boss said: “He’s training already with the team, partial. It’s good news for us.

“I don’t know [when he will be back], but it’s not muscular. It was a bone, a fracture, and one that is already fixed so it’s fine. Now it’s physical condition, but it’s good news that he’s back.”

Predicted Man City XI: Ortega; Lewis, Simpson-Pusey, Akanji, Gvardiol; O'Reilly, Kovacic; Doku, McAtee, Grealish, Haaland

How to watch Man City vs Salford

15:22 , Matt Verri

TV channel: The game will be broadcast on BBC One. Coverage starts at 5.30pm GMT ahead of a 5.45pm kick-off.

Live stream: The BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport Website – both free with an email subscription – will provide a live stream.

LIVE coverage: Follow all the action right here with us!

Good afternoon!

15:16 , Matt Verri

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Man City vs Salford!

Hugely-anticipated FA Cup third-round tie, as Pep Guardiola’s side take on the Class of 92-back Salford.

City have had their problems this season, but defeat to League Two opposition here really would be disastrous.

We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news ahead of kick-off, which comes at 5:45pm GMT from the Etihad Stadium.