Manchester City play host to Salford City at Etihad Stadium on Saturday the 14th of February 2026. Kick-off is at 3pm GMT – or 4pm WAT if you’re taking in the action from West Africa. This is a big one for Pep Guardiola’s team, still chasing down that elusive top spot in the Premier League, and another major trophy or two. They’re taking on their local rivals Salford City – a League Two team – which always adds a bit of spice to any fixture. Last year we saw the City go 8-0 up on Salford in the FA Cup third round and 10-1 past Exeter to make it to this stage, while the visitors from Salford are making their own bit of history with a first ever fourth-round appearance – and they’re up for a major upset.
Match Summary
Manchester City are on a roll at the moment, still looking pretty unbeatable after some impressive recent performances. A 3-0 win over Fulham was followed by a dramatic come-back at Anfield and they currently find themselves in second spot in the Premier league. Not to mention they’ve made it to at least the semi-finals of the FA Cup for seven years running – and lifted the trophy twice in that time.
The Etihad is an intimidating place for opponents, and the quality and depth of the squad Guardiola has at his disposal means that he can give his players a run-out without really weakening the side. Salford City, meanwhile, are pushing for promotion from League two, sitting sixth in the table at present.
They got a real shellacking from City last year in the FA Cup and this trip across Manchester to the Etihad will be a step way up for them. Still, a local derby always brings a bit of added spice – but realistically, you’ve got to expect City to be favourite to win here. And with some of the firepower they have at their disposal, it could get pretty messy. Some of City’s previous home cup-ties have seen goal-fests – and Salford’s recent form may just allow them to limit the damage a bit.
Head-to-head: Now this really is a mismatch, but Salford’s been picking up some form – which might just encourage them to have a go at City.
Possible Lineups
Manchester City (4-3-3): Trafford – Lewis, Khusanov, Stones, Ake – Gonzalez, McAidoo, Reijnders – Foden, Cherki, Marmoush
Pep Guardiola likes a cup match to give some of the bench-warmers a run-out: you can bet that Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Doku and Savinho are all out or resting but you’ll still see plenty of familiar faces. John Stones is back to captain the side, while Phil Foden and Rayan Ait-Nouri keep their places. And if they come on, academy stars like Ryan McAidoo and Floyd Samba will be raring to go.
Salford City (4-2-3-1 or similar): Taking a peek at Standard lineup – and yes, Karl Robinson does indeed seem to be going with his most competitive side as he looks to frustrate the bookies with some clever counter-attacks and set-pieces. No big injuries to worry about, and the visitors look like they’ll be giving it a real go.
Prediction
It’s not hard to see that Manchester City’s got the class, home advantage, and bench-strength to take this one pretty comfortably. A few of the youngsters and fringe players like Phil Foden and Rayan Ait-Nouri should get to shine, while there should be goals coming from all angles. Salford will give it a real go, and might just grab a chance on the break, but the difference in class really points to another fairly convincing City win. Just don’t expect another 8-0 thrashing like the one last year…
