Manchester: Manchester City avoided the chance of qualifying for the FA Cup with a crushing 8-0 victory over fourth-tier guest Salford City on Saturday, a club with strong ties to its local rival Manchester United.
A much-changed City side dominated the game, with Devin Mubama scoring his first-team debut with a goal, Jack Grealish ending a year-long drought from the penalty spot and James McAtee scoring a second-half hat-trick.
Mobama doubled City’s lead with an assist after Jeremy Doku had given the hosts the lead in the eighth minute and City disappeared from view when Nico O’Reilly scored before halftime.
Jack Grealish got into the act when he won and then converted a penalty in the 49th minute before McAtee scored three goals in the space of 20 minutes and Doku converted a penalty.
Salford are co-owned by Manchester United teammates Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and David Beckham, but although they have made great strides and are seeking promotion from League Two, they have been given the chance to play football for 90 years. minute. The school is run by the city of Baqa.
Salford coach Karl Robinson said: “Man City and Pep did not disrespect anyone, and tonight they showed us why they are the way they are and why he is the way he is.”
His side have conceded no goals in their last six matches, but City have proven a much tougher hurdle as Butt and Scholes watch from the manager’s box and Giggs from the technical box in his role as the club’s director of football.
“I told the players that if someone had told me we were going to concede eight goals in seven games, I would have accepted that,” Robinson joked. “I didn’t expect it to be all in one game.”
City manager Pep Guardiola made nine changes to the side that beat West Ham United last weekend, but his big guns were stacked on the bench in case of an emergency.
This was never going to be possible once an eighth-minute counter-attack saw Matheus Nunes drive forward and pass to Grealish who in turn played for Doku to send a left-footed shot off the post.
Mobama made it 2-0 after a pass from Nunes and the game was set for Salford just before half-time when O’Reilly controlled Doku’s pass to score his first goal for the club.
Grealish scored his first goal since December 16, 2023, when he was fouled inside the penalty area immediately after the end of the first half and rose to score the penalty kick.
The excellent Doku set up Makati for his first goal after the hour mark and the Belgian converted a penalty kick before being substituted. McAtee then put the icing on the cake with two more well-placed goals.