The two sides have never crossed paths in the professional ranks.
Manchester City are seeking to saunter into the fourth round of the FA Cup when they host League One outfit Exeter City on Saturday afternoon.but cup competitions will provide a welcome distraction over the coming days.
The battle with Exeter is followed by their semifinal first leg battle withfired eight unanswered goals past Salford City in the third round of last year’s competition and will be aiming to rack up a similarly emphatic scoreline this weekend. Sweeping changes are expected as Pep Guardiola hands his first-team regulars much-needed rests, but that shouldn’t deny the seven-time FA Cup winners a routine triumph. Exeter have hit a timely patch of form following three wins from their last five games, but manager Gary Caldwell, who was part of the Wigan Athletic squad who famously beat Man City in the 2013 FA Cup final, will still be fearing the worst at the Etihad Stadium. The Grecians are only three points above the drop zone in League One despite sitting in 14th and will expect a hammering.United Statesstar available to face Exeter on Saturday. Whether he starts, features from the bench or is rested entirely remains to be seen. Guardiola does find himself light on options heading into the third round clash, however, with centre backs Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and John Stones all unavailable. Mateo Kovačić is absent in the midfield, too, while injuries to Savinho and Oscar Bobb limit options out wide. Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are still at the Africa Cup of Nations, further restricting Guardiola’s selection options, and the Spanish manager is expected to hand opportunities to academy stars and fringe players.View this post on Instagram Exeter are likely to be without Josh Magennis, Ryan Rydel, Johnly Yfeko and Danny Andrew for the trip to the Etihad. Sil Swinkels will also no longer be available for Caldwell, having recently been recalled by parent club Pierce Sweeney is likely to be recalled to the lineup after being benched against Huddersfield Town last weekend, lining up alongside formerExeter predicted lineup vs. Man City Injuries and international absentees mean that Guardiola’s rotated lineup will feature a fair few youngsters, but that shouldn’t prevent Man City from easing to victory. Even if they start slowly at the Etihad, they will be able to call upon some astonishing substitutes. Exeter will be desperate to keep the game tight for as long as possible and maybe take advantage of changes in Man City’s backline, but they will need the mightiest of miracles to force the match to extra time—let alone taste victory.Ewan Ross-Murray is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer who focuses primarily on the Premier League. Ewan was born in Leicester, but his heart, and club allegiance, belongs to Liverpool.
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