Heavy cup favourites in Manchester
It would not be surprising if quite a few Man Utd supporters quietly find themselves rooting for the “away” side, Salford City. Although Gary Neville and David Beckham are now the only remaining members of United’s famous “Class of ’92” still involved as owners, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville were all part of the ownership group until last year. While Saturday’s FA Cup clash represents a major highlight of the season for Salford, life looks very different for their hosts.
Manchester City briefly step away from their league title push as they welcome League Two outfit Salford City in the FA Cup fourth round. On paper, this is very much a classic mismatch, with history suggesting the home side should be in firm control. Still, cup football has a habit of producing surprises — so let’s take a closer look.
Match analysis
Pep Guardiola’s side approach the weekend fixture in confident mood. City remain firmly involved at the top of the PL while also aiming for another deep run in football’s oldest cup competition. The club has built a strong record in this tournament in recent years, lifting the trophy twice and reaching four finals across the past seven seasons. Against lower-league opposition, City have generally combined dominant performances with clinical finishing.
Salford, meanwhile, ply their trade in League Two and are enjoying a respectable campaign. The Ammies have established themselves as a solid fourth-tier side, but they are naturally facing a level of opposition far beyond their usual weekly challenges. Manager Karl Robinson will likely view reaching the fourth round alone as a notable achievement.
The last time these sides met in the cup, Manchester City recorded an emphatic victory. The gulf in class was obvious in the 8–0 win just over a year ago, and little suggests the gap has narrowed significantly since then.
Team news
City are widely expected to rotate their squad. A few minor knocks in the squad could open the door for players who usually see limited minutes to stake a claim.
Salford also have some availability concerns, but they should still be able to field a competitive side. Robinson’s approach will probably centre on staying organised defensively, keeping the contest alive for as long as possible and looking to exploit counter-attacking opportunities.
Probable line-ups
Manchester City:
Trafford – Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Aké – Gonzalez – McAidoo, Reijnders, Foden, Cherki – Marmoush
Salford City:
Young – Turton, Dorrington, Garbutt – Butcher – Longelo, Grant, Woodburn, N’Mai – Graydon, Udoh
Odds assessment and tip
Manchester City are clear odds favourites even if rotation is heavy. The difference in technical level, pace and experience is substantial, and anything other than a home win would qualify as a major upset.
Tip: Home win with several goals expected.
A scoreline in the region of 4–0 (6.50) or 5–0 (7.00) looks plausible.
Don’t forget that we have Early Payout on this one – read more about it here.
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last updated: 13.02.26
