Manchester City advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Salford City on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Etihad Stadium.
The match saw an early breakthrough for Manchester City in the sixth minute. Rayan Ait-Nouri, receiving a pass from Tijjani Reijnders, drove into the penalty area and delivered a low cross. Salford City’s Alfie Dorrington attempted a clearance, but inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, giving City the lead.
City continued to press, with Omar Marmoush having a goal disallowed for offside in the 23rd minute. Salford City mounted a challenge, with Ben Woodburn forcing a save from James Trafford in the 42nd minute. Brandon Cooper also had a headed opportunity in injury time, but his effort went wide. The first half concluded with City holding a 1-0 advantage.
The second half began with Ryan McAidoo testing Matt Young with a powerful shot in the 50th minute, but the Salford goalkeeper was equal to the task. City manager Pep Guardiola later introduced Antoine Semenyo and Nico O’Reilly in an attempt to bolster the attack. Semenyo came close to scoring in the 78th minute, but his shot went just wide of the target.
City extended their lead in the 81st minute through Marc Guehi. Following a cross from Rayan Cherki that was initially cleared by Young, the ball fell to Guehi, who easily tapped it into the unguarded net. The goal solidified City’s control of the match.
The final whistle confirmed a 2-0 win for Manchester City, securing their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Match Lineups:
Manchester City: James Trafford; Rayan Ait-Nouri, Max Alleyne, John Stones, Abdukodir Khusanov; Nico Gonzalez, Rico Lewis; Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Phil Foden; Omar Marmoush.
Salford City: Matt Young; Luke Garbutt, Alfie Dorrington, Zach Awe; Josh Austerfield; Brandon Cooper, Rosaire Longelo, Jorge Grant, Ben Woodburn; Kelly N’Mai, Ryan Graydon.