Manchester City cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a resounding 8-0 victory over League Two side Salford City at the Etihad Stadium. James McAtee stole the show with a second-half hat-trick, while Jack Grealish ended his year-long goal drought and Jeremy Doku bagged a brace in a dominant display.
City, fielding a much-changed lineup, were in complete control from the outset against Salford, a club co-owned by Manchester United legends Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and David Beckham.
The scoring started early when Doku finished off a swift counter-attack in the eighth minute. Debutant Divin Mubama then doubled City’s lead with a tap-in before Nico O’Reilly added a third before half-time with his first goal for the club.
Grealish got in on the act early in the second half, winning and converting a penalty to end his long wait for a goal. McAtee then took center stage, scoring three goals in a devastating 20-minute spell, while Doku added a second penalty to complete the rout.
Despite their recent good form in League Two, Salford were simply outclassed by a rampant City side. Manager Karl Robinson acknowledged the gulf in class after the match, stating, “Man City and Pep have never disrespected anybody and tonight they showed us why they are what they are and why he is who he is.”
City manager Pep Guardiola made nine changes to his starting lineup, but the quality of his squad was evident as they brushed aside their lower-league opponents. The performance of McAtee, in particular, highlighted the abundance of talent at Guardiola’s disposal.
City’s emphatic victory sends a clear message of intent in the FA Cup. They will be looking to continue their impressive run and challenge for the trophy this season.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.