Manchester City 2-0 Salford City: Guehi nets first City goal as holders progress
Manchester City scraped through to the FA Cup fifth-round draw with a 2-0 victory over Salford City, settling a scrappy tie with an early own goal and a late finish from newcomer Marc Guehi. The hosts survived an injury blow and several close calls to avoid an upset.
Early opener, injury setback and Salford resistance
City looked to be in control inside the opening six minutes when Alfie Dorrington turned a whipped cross into his own net to hand the holders the lead. The early strike promised a routine afternoon, but City struggled to manufacture a second and lost defender Max Alleyne to injury in the 22nd minute, forcing a reshuffle.
Salford, who had been heavily beaten by City in a previous round last season, regrouped impressively. Former Liverpool forward Ben Woodburn threatened with a low drive that demanded a sharp save from James Trafford, and at the end of the first half Brandon Cooper missed a gilt-edged chance when he headed wide from a corner. The visitors continued to probe after the break — Dutch midfielder Kelly N'Mai even fired straight into Trafford — and the home side were kept honest throughout.
Substitutions change the dynamic; Guehi seals it
With City failing to find fluency, the manager introduced Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi and Nico O'Reilly to inject energy. The changes paid off when Guehi, the England international who joined the club last month, tucked home his first goal for Manchester City in the 80th minute. A cross was palmed by Salford keeper Matthew Young into Guehi’s path and the defender reacted quickly to slot home, finally putting the tie beyond doubt.
Guehi's appearance was notable for another reason: new competition regulations allowed him to play for City despite featuring earlier in the cup for another club. Under the refreshed rule, "a player may play for a maximum of one other club in the competition proper, " a change that has cleared the way for multiple recent cases of players representing two teams in the same FA Cup season.
Manager reaction and what it means next
Despite the win, the manager was characteristically frank about the performance, labelling the match "boring" and lamenting a lack of fluidity and reading of spaces. That critique underlined a broader issue: a much-changed City XI failed to dominate possession and create the sustained pressure many expected. Even so, progression in the cup was the primary aim and the result keeps the holders on course.
The victory also extended the club's remarkable run of FA Cup home wins to 17 since their fourth-round exit to a Championship side in 2015. For Salford, the encouraging displays and narrow margins of this tie will offer belief that they can compete with top-tier opponents on their day, while City will take the win but return to work focused on tightening their process ahead of a congested schedule.
