After a triumphant international break, domestic competition resumes as Manchester City travel to Robins High Performance Centre for their FA Cup fifth-round clash with Championship side Bristol City.
Playing at an open, somewhat smaller venue Manager Gareth Taylor said: “We’re at a different venue, playing at their training ground now instead of Ashton Gate will be different in itself but the goals are in the same place.
“But I always say whether we’re playing at Wembley in front of a full crowd or the Etihad or here at the Academy Stadium nothing really changes regarding what happens on the pitch.”
It will be the second time these two sides go head-to-head this season after City destroyed the second-tier side 6-0 in the Continental Cup quarter-finals in late January. Hayley Raso and Lauren Hemp hit the target twice each with league joint-top scorer Khadija Shaw and Mary Fowler also getting themselves on the score sheet.
Taylor confessed with a smile: “The FA Cup is a special competition and these are the games we look forward to, we’ve got to go down and earn the right to be in the next round.”
The Citizens thrashed their fourth-round rivals Sheffield United 7-0, however, the real momentum comes from City’s league win over Arsenal just before the International break. After a narrow 1-0 loss, the Sky Blues recorded a 2-1 win just days later to leapfrog the Women’s Super League giants into third place in the division.
The hosts, however, are also yet to concede in the FA Cup having defeated fellow championship side Southampton 2-0 in the third round proper and delivered a convincing 4-0 win over Oxford United in the fourth round who play a tier below the Robins in the FA Women's National League Premier Division South. By progressing into the fifth round against City, they have beaten last year's cup run when they fell short to Southampton in the fourth round.
Bristol are a strong second-tier side. Their league form sees them occupy second place as it stands, albeit equal on points with leaders London City but behind on goal difference. Although, the Robins do have a game in hand over the Championship leaders and third-place Southampton.
Regarding the FA Cup fifth-round hosts, Taylor added: “There will be some differences for sure [to their last clash]. I think that inside knowledge of playing against a team [before] can help you sometimes or certainly prepare you for what you might expect to see.
“I'm pretty confident with the players that we have and the players available and the quality that we're showing at the moment that we see a good version of ourselves sometimes after an international break and only having a couple of days training and the travel some of the players have been on and we have to travel another four hours to Bristol so it's just about making sure we check in with the players and they feel happy and hungry and ready to play.”
Esme Morgan could return to the squad after struggling with injury, with a few "niggles, flu and head colds" circulating the squad. Taylor will also take into consideration the considerable amount of travel some of his international players have been through to represent their countries such as Japanese international Yui Hasegawa and Australia's Hayley Raso, Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy.
- Bristol City host Manchester City at the Robins High Performance Centre on Sunday, February 26 (2pm GMT kick-off).
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