Manchester City were poor in their FA Cup win over Salford but an own goal was added to late on by substitute Marc Guehi.
Manchester City are through to the FA Cup fifth round after a dismal home win over League Two Salford City. An early cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri was inadvertently pushed into the net by Salford’s Alfie Dorrington but the Blues failed to stamp their authority on the game beyond that despite enjoying the vast majority of possession.
Salford twice went close to beating James Trafford and could feel hard done by that they did not get more out of a game where they posed a significant threat. Pep Guardiola brought Rodri, Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly on in the second half in an attempt to turn the game back in City’s favour.
It worked, with a set-piece won by Semenyo ending with Guehi putting it in the back of the net. Here are the player ratings from the Manchester Evening News.
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Trafford: Had to be alert to tip over Woodburn’s effort at the end of the first half. 7
Alleyne: Slid across well to cover for an error from Stones and was unfortunately injured as he did. 6
Khusanov: Some sensible play to keep City safe at the back as they threatened to creak. 6
Stones: Looked incredibly rusty on his first start for nearly three months, caught out on a number of occasions. 5
Ait-Nouri: Started brightly and made the first goal, but struggled to stay involved as play stayed on the other flank. 6
Gonzalez: City had bags of possession, especially in the first half, but he couldn’t keep a handle on the midfield. 5
Reijnders: Particularly poor on the ball, making too many bad decisions to see any promising City attacks fade away. 4
Foden: Just as culpable, failing to find the spaces and create in the final third until he was hooked after an hour. 4
Lewis: Pulled back to right-back after Alleyne’s early injury but was still unable to make an impact on the game. 5
Cherki: It has felt a surprise at times in recent weeks that he hasn’t started, but if he plays like this the next benching won’t be. 5
Marmoush: Unlucky that he was incorrectly ruled offside when he scored a wondergoal, but he was offside far too often otherwise. 5
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Substitutes
McAidoo (for Alleyne, 21) Couldn’t have the joy that he had against Exeter but put a shift in. 6
Guehi (for Stones, 65) Got the goal to make the game safe. 7
Semenyo (for Foden, 65) Gave City a threat they hadn’t had. 7
O’Reilly (for Ait-Nouri, 65) Made his presence felt in defence. 7
Rodri (for Gonzalez, 75) Solid. 6
Not used: Donnarumma, Dias, Nunes, Samba
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