Current holders Manchester City get their FA Cup journey underway on Sunday when they host Championship side Huddersfield Town at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola's side won this tournament last season by beating Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley, a result that secured a domestic double before they later completed the treble with victory over Inter in the Champions League final.
They are the overwhelming favourites to take the first step towards another final on Sunday against a Huddersfield side struggling near the bottom of the Championship, currently in 21st. The Terriers have won only one of their last five games and will need to produce something really special here to reach the fourth round.
Here's all you need to know about Man City vs Huddersfield in the FA Cup this weekend.
What time does Man City vs Huddersfield kick-off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Date: Sunday 7 January
- Kick-off Time: 14:00 GMT / 09:00 ET / 06:00 PT
- Referee: Michael Salisbury
- VAR: Peter Bankes
Man City vs Huddersfield H2H Record (Last Five Games)
- Man City: 4 wins
- Huddersfield: 0 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Huddersfield 0-3 Man City (20 January 2019) - Premier League
Current form (all competitions)
- Man City: DWWWW
- Huddersfield: DLWLL
How to watch Man City vs Huddersfield on TV and live stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | BBC Sport Web, BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer, TalkSport Radio UK |
United States | ESPN+ |
Canada | Sportsnet West, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet Now Plus, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet Ontario |
Man City team news
Man City are one of the very few top teams not impacted by the Africa Cup of Nations or the Asian Cup, with none of their stars departing for international duty. That said, three key players are expected to miss out here through injury.
Erling Haaland is getting closer to a return but is unlikely to be risked. The same can be said for John Stones and Jeremy Doku, but the latter is getting closer to making his return. Kevin De Bruyne made the bench in the final game of 2023 and could make a first appearance since August here.
Man City predicted lineup vs Huddersfield
Man City predicted lineup vs Huddersfield (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Akanji, Gomez; Nunes, Phillips; Bobb, Foden, Hamilton; Alvarez.
Huddersfield team news
Ironically, Huddersfield are impacted by international competitions more than Man City, with Charles Ondo jetting off for AFCON with Equatorial Guinea and Yuta Nakayama absent after being included in Japan's Asian Cup squad.
There is a real injury crisis at Huddersfield right now, with Jaheim Headley the latest to be struck down. He joins Oliver Turton, Patrick Jones, Jonathan Hogg, Kian Harratt, Josh Ruffels, Matty Pearson, Daniel Ward, Chris Maxwell and Delano Burgzorg in missing the short trip to Manchester.
Huddersfield predicted lineup vs Man City
Huddersfield predicted lineup vs Man City (3-5-2): Nicholls; Lees, Ayina, Helik; Kasumu, Rudoni, Wiles, Diarra, Edmonds-Green; Thomas, Koroma.
Man City vs Huddersfield score prediction
While the magic of the FA Cup is all around and the smell of upsets is palpable, a big shock at the Etihad on Sunday is majorly unlikely. Man City have started to hit their groove again with two wins off the back of the Club World Cup and usually have few issues disposing of teams like Huddersfield.
Their home advantage coupled with the visitors' injury woes and poor performances so far this season points to a very long afternoon for the Terries and a simple one for Pep Guardiola's rotated side.
