Manchester City aim to avoid FA Cup upset against Exeter City

Manchester City hosts League One outfit Exeter City at Etihad Stadium in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

The Citizens were held to a 1-1 home draw by Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League last time out.

The Grecians secured a late 2-2 draw at Huddersfield in their last League One outing.

Match preview

This is the first ever meeting between Manchester City and Exeter City; the Citizens have won their last five matches against English teams they are facing for the first time by an aggregate score of 23-2.

Exeter City have been eliminated in their last 10 FA Cup ties against top-flight sides since knocking out Leicester City in the fourth round in 1980/81.

Since losing 2-0 to Middlesbrough in January 2015, Manchester City have won all 15 of their home matches in the FA Cup, scoring 65 goals. The last side to have a longer home winning run were Liverpool between 1939 and 1955 (16 in a row), which is a record for a league club in the FA Cup. The all-time record is 17 in a row by Clapham Rovers between 1873 and 1881 before the Football League was formed.

Exeter won 3-1 against Oxford United in the FA Cup third round last season, the Grecians haven’t reached the fourth round in consecutive seasons since 1949/50 and 1950/51.

Man City are seven-time winners of FA Cup and they have reached at least the semi-final stage of the competition in eight of the last nine seasons under Pep Guardiola, but they have only triumphed on two occasions in 2018/19 and 2022/23, while they have lost the last two finals to Manchester United and current holders Crystal Palace.

In domestic cup competitions, Manchester City’s Phil Foden has been involved in 26 goals in 20 starts against sides from lower divisions (14 goals, 12 assists), winning all 20 of those games.

Team news

Manchester City

Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Savinho, Oscar Bobb, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic are sidleined with injuries.

While Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Exeter City

Johnly Yfeko, Josh Magennis, Ryan Rydel and Danny Andrew are unavailable with injuries.

Predicted line-ups

Manchester City: Trafford, Lewis, Mfuni, Alleyne, Naylor, Gray, J. Heskey, McAidoo, Cherki, R. Heskey, Mukasa.

Exeter City: Whitworth, Sweeney, Fitzwater, Turns, Niskanen, Doyle-Hayes, Brierley, McMillan, Cole, Aitchison, Wareham.