Manchester City beat Salford, Guehi nets debut goal

Manchester City scraped past League Two side Salford City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in the FA Cup fourth round, booking their place in Monday’s fifth-round draw.

The hosts were given an early boost when Alfie Dorrington put the ball past his own keeper inside six minutes, handing City a shock lead. But the seven-time winners, making nine changes from their previous line-up, struggled to assert control and were dealt an injury blow when defender Max Alleyne limped off in the 22nd minute.

Salford, co-owned by former Manchester United stars Gary Neville and David Beckham, fought back admirably. Ben Woodburn forced a fine save from James Trafford, while Brandon Cooper headed wide from a corner just before half-time. Dutch midfielder Kelly N’Mai came close after the break, firing straight at Trafford.

City manager Pep Guardiola, without Erling Haaland, introduced substitutes Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi, and Nico O’Reilly to spark his side. It was Guehi who finally put the game to bed in the 81st minute, scoring his first Manchester City goal after keeper Matthew Young could only palm a cross into his path.

Despite the late relief, it was far from a vintage City performance. The scrappy victory extended their unbeaten FA Cup home run to 17 games since 2015, with 77 goals and 11 clean sheets, but fans will note the side rarely found top gear.

There were positives for Guardiola: John Stones completed his first start since November without issue, and Trafford impressed in goal ahead of the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. Guehi’s first goal for the club also provided a moment of celebration late in a nervy night for City supporters.

Salford can take heart from the performance, proving a tough test for City until the late strike.