Manchester City will host Plymouth Argyle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday in an FA Cup fifth-round clash, with both sides eyeing a spot in the quarter-finals. The reigning champions come into this fixture as overwhelming favorites, while Plymouth will be hoping to pull off another giant-killing act after their shock wins over Brentford and Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola’s side returned to winning ways midweek with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham, thanks to Erling Haaland’s early goal. City, who have endured an inconsistent season in the Premier League, now see the FA Cup as a prime opportunity for silverware.
Plymouth, under new head coach Miron Muslic, have already defied expectations in this year’s FA Cup. The Championship side stunned Brentford in the third round before a resilient 1-0 victory over Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Guardiola is expected to rotate his squad, with Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, and Stefan Ortega among those likely to start. Young talents like Claudio Echeverri could also get a chance. Plymouth, meanwhile, will rely on a defensive setup and hope for another magical moment.
While the Pilgrims have been this season’s surprise package, a trip to the Etihad is a different challenge altogether. City’s superior quality and squad depth should see them cruise into the next round, barring an extraordinary upset.
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