On January 12th at 19:44, Beijing time, the third round of the FA Cup continued with a match between Manchester City, ranked sixth in the Premier League, hosting Salford City, who are second in League Two.
Salford City's total team value is only 3.38 million euros, which cannot be compared to the 1.25 billion euro powerhouse that is Manchester City. However, Salford City has been in excellent form recently, securing six consecutive victories in the league. In their last nine games, Salford City won eight and also advanced smoothly in the FA Cup.
Manchester City finally broke out of their slump of one win in 12 matches, achieving consecutive victories over Leicester City and West Ham United, welcoming a long-awaited winning streak for the "Blue Moon."
Without suspense, Pep Guardiola made significant changes to the starting lineup, giving players like Grealish and McTominay the opportunity to start.
After the opening whistle, Doku was extremely active. In the 8th minute, Nunes intercepted the ball in the backfield, dribbled more than 20 meters before passing it, and Grealish quickly distributed the ball to the left flank. Doku took a shot without stopping the ball, aiming for the far corner. The ball hit the post and bounced into the net.
In the 12th minute, Doku attempted a shot after simple dribbling outside the penalty area, but the ball went wide.
Manchester City's attacks were relentless, leaving Salford City struggling to cope, becoming increasingly passive. Meanwhile, Manchester City displayed their rich array of offensive tactics.
In the 16th minute, Manchester City's cross created a threat. Ake provided an assist, and Puscas' header was cleared off the line by Kwateng, almost doubling Manchester City's lead.
In the 20th minute, Manchester City scored again. Savic initiated the attack, and Nunes delivered a perfect assist, allowing Mubama to score into an empty net. The 20-year-old scored on his debut for Manchester City, a dream start indeed.
For the next 20 minutes, Manchester City played slightly lethargically, consciously slowing down the scoring pace. However, whenever they exerted themselves, Salford City had no way to resist.
In the 43rd minute, Doku attracted two defenders and provided an assist, allowing O'Reilly to score as well. At halftime, Manchester City already had a three-goal lead.
Just four minutes into the second half, Grealish was brought down in the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Grealish stepped up to take it and scored steadily, marking the first goal of the season for the hundred-million-euro star, and his first goal in 13 months.
In the 62nd minute, Nunes initiated another attack, and Doku crossed without hesitation from the bottom, allowing McTominay to score, completely changing the complexion of the game for Manchester City.
Manchester City's goals continued to pour in. Doku's shot inside the penalty area struck the hand of a defender, and the referee awarded another penalty kick. Doku stepped up to take it and scored, contributing two goals and two assists.
Later, Foden initiated an attack, and McTominay scored twice in quick succession.
In the 82nd minute, Grealish completed a pass and shot, allowing McTominay to achieve a hat-trick.
In the end, Manchester City, with a total value of 1.25 billion euros, easily secured an 8-0 victory to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup, also achieving a rare three consecutive victories across all competitions.