The FA Cup 3rd Round will feature Swindon Town taking on Manchester City on Saturday, 8th January at 01:30 AM IST. The fixture will take place at the County Ground and hence, will be an away game for the Cityzens.
Man City are currently sitting on top of the Premier League table with 53 points, 10 points clear of second placed Chelsea. However, the FA Cup has not been Pep Guardiola’s cup of tea, having won the title just once. Nevertheless, the Manchester Blues are expected to dominate and secure a comfortable win in the upcoming fixture.
Manchester City form (all competitions): W W W W W
On the other hand, Swindon are sitting 5th in Football League Two with 37 points. The Robins have started off the year with a bang, after a 5-2 victory over Northampton Town. The club have qualified for the FA Cup 3rd round after 10 years and hence, will be high on morale to face Man City.
Swindon Town form (all competitions): W L L D W
Team News
Swindon Town vs Manchester City: The Robins’ team news and injury updates:
The Robins will miss centre-back Mathieu Baudry, who is set to be out with a hip tendon injury. The team will also be without Jack Payne, who was withdrawn early in the previous contest against Northampton, while Jonathan Williams remains a doubt.
The team’s goalkeeper Joe Wollacott will be representing Ghana in the AFCON and hence, will be replaced by Lewis Ward for Saturday. Crystal Palace centre-back Jake O’Brien has arrived on loan to bolster the host’s defence.
Swindon Town Predicted Lineup:
Ward; Kesler, Odimayo, Hunt, Iandolo; Gilbert, Williams, Reed, Lyden; McKirdy, Simpson
Swindon Town vs Manchester City: The Cityzens’ team news and injury updates:
Man City will be without their coach Pep Guardiola along with seven other players due to Covid-19, who are currently self isolating. The team will be without Riyad Mahrez and John Stones due to AFCON and injury respectively.
Nathan Ake could earn another start at left-back, as CJ Egan-Riley and Luke Mbete compete for opportunities in the heart of defence. Zack Steffen and Fernandinho are expected to start, with several youth players like Cole Palmer, James McAtee and Kayky, likely to earn valuable minutes in the final third.
Manchester City Predicted Lineup:
Steffen; Walker, Mbete, Egan-Riley, Ake; Gundogan, Fernandinho, McAtee; Kayky, Palmer, Grealish
Our score predictions: Swindon Town 0-4 Manchester City
Even though Swindon are in good form, they are no match for Guardiola’s Man City. A youth filled Cityzens will cruise to victory with several big hitters at Pep’s disposal, if need be.
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