Manchester City 2–0 Salford City: Guardiola’s Side Cruise into FA Cup Next Round

On paper, this was a meeting shaped by distance. Premier League pedigree against lower-league defiance. Yet cup ties rarely follow paper. They follow energy, execution and moments. Manchester City advanced as expected, yet the 2–0 scoreline tells a story of patience as much as superiority.

From the opening whistle, this felt less like a contest and more like a statement of intent. Manchester City did not ease their way into the tie they seized it. Ninety-three percent possession in the early exchanges was not just dominance, it was suffocation. Salford were pinned deep inside their own half, chasing patterns of sky-blue movement they could not disrupt.

What made it even more unsettling for the visitors was the fluidity. Marmoush, Cherki and Foden rotated constantly across the front line, interchanging with intelligence and purpose. There was no fixed reference point. One moment Cherki drifted into the half-space. The next, Marmoush pulled wide to stretch the line. Foden ghosted centrally, knitting it all together. It was movement without hesitation, chemistry without chaos.

The breakthrough felt inevitable. Cherki, gliding between the lines, fizzed a dangerous ball across the six-yard area as City swarmed the box. Under pressure, Alfie Dorrington turned it into his own net a goal shaped by inevitability.

City thought they had a second soon after. A perfectly weighted diagonal split Salford’s defensive shape, releasing Marmoush through on goal. He finished cleanly. The flag rose quickly. The offside call felt harsh, perhaps even wrong, but it did not disturb City’s rhythm.

Yet this is the FA Cup and it always leaves room for resistance.

Salford emerged for the second half with defiance. For a brief spell, they played on the front foot, pressing higher and forcing City into uncomfortable areas. Lieunglo slipped through N’Mai, who tested Trafford at the near post in a moment that hinted at belief. It was a reminder that cup ties can shift on a single spark.

City, though, do not panic. They compress space. They absorb pressure. They wait.

After riding that initial wave, they returned to business as usual. The ball moved quicker. The rotations resumed. Salford were pushed back into survival mode, forced once more to chase shadows.

The decisive moment arrived from a set piece. Rayan Cherki, once again central to everything creative, delivered with clever disguise. Matt Young parried the initial effort, but only into danger. Marc Guéhi reacted quickest, composed and clinical, slotting home City’s second to extinguish any lingering doubt.

For Manchester City, this victory is about more than progression. The FA Cup has often been Pep Guardiola’s safety net in seasons where narratives fluctuate. It represents control in a competition that rarely allows it. Advancing here keeps silverware within reach and maintains momentum in a campaign where every trophy matters.

Salford showed heart. They showed bravery. They had moments.

City showed control. They showed composure. They showed the quiet ruthlessness of a side that understands cup football demands patience as much as power.