
Manchester City secured passage to the fifth round of the FA Cup with an unconvincing 2-0 victory over League Two side Salford on Saturday, a stark contrast to the 8-0 dismantling of their neighbours last season.
Pep Guardiola’s heavily rotated side, featuring nine changes from their usual starting XI, relied on an early own goal from Alfie Dorrington and a late strike from Marc Guehi to overcome the lower-league opposition at the Etihad Stadium. Top scorer Erling Haaland and captain Bernardo Silva were notably absent from the squad, highlighting Guardiola’s focus on squad rotation.