Manchester City put eight past Salford City in the FA Cup on Saturday, securing their biggest win in six years. In a team that blended experienced heads and academy graduates, there was one man in particular who stood out.

James McAtee’s steady rise is really starting to benefit City. Pep Guardiola is clearly a huge fan, saying of the youngster: ‘‘He’s a special, talented player. Generation of Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Romeo Lavia, Jadon Sancho. He was a main player there, the captain and a Man City fan.’’

In all three of the goals he scored on Saturday, City’s young star demonstrated excellent timing, perfect positioning, control and composure.

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And we shouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised. The attacking midfielder played a key part in Sheffield United’s 2022/23 Championship promotion campaign, scoring nine goals and averaging 4.59 touches in the opposition box (97.3%) per 90.

McAtee outperformed his expected goals of 1.18 in the third round of the FA Cup and fans are naturally excited by his potential.

Guardiola has previously acknowledged the lack of playing time McAtee has had. Following the youngster's impressive substitute appearance against Leicester City on Boxing Day, Guardiola said: ‘‘I asked him to stay, and I didn’t give him the minutes he deserves.’’

Much has been made of Cole Palmer's incredible form since leaving City and fans won't want to see the same thing happen with McAtee. Guardiola clearly rates him and it might be time for him to be given a real run in the team.