Man City will begin their defence of the FA Cup in the third round by welcoming Huddersfield to the Etihad on Sunday afternoon.
While the tie looks like a formality on paper, Pep Guardiola will have a few selection decisions with some of his star players returning from injury.
Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jeremy Doku are all in contention to face the Championship strugglers, but Guardiola may choose to ease them gently back into the fold, perhaps putting the trio on the bench to begin with rather than plunging them straight into the starting XI.
Huddersfield’s problems, meanwhile, have been well documented, and they were left reeling after a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Leicester.
Guardiola’s troops, meanwhile, who wrapped up an incredible 2023 by bringing home the Club World Cup title, should be feeling well rested having had eight days to recover following their 2-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League.
But can Huddersfield defy the expectations and cause an upset? I have unearthed a couple of tips for you to chew over ahead of kick-off.
Man City to make light work of Huddersfield
With their Premier League title challenge back on track and the Club World Cup safely stowed away, all appears to be well again at City.
Although there were some alarming signs in December, City are notoriously strong in the second half of the campaign, and they will be mentally ticking off the games in their head in the relentless pursuit of further glory.
John Stones looks likely to miss out with an ankle injury, but Kalvin Phillips could be overlooked as talk intensifies of a switch this month for the midfielder.
City, who lifted the FA Cup for the seventh time in their history last June when they beat Manchester United in the Final, have won 68 of the 128 third-round contests they have been involved in.
Huddersfield won’t have fond memories of their previous visit to the Etihad when they were a Premier League outfit five years ago as they were hammered 6-1.
Indeed, the Terriers haven’t won away to City in over 20 years, and that was when the ground was formerly known as Maine Road.
Guardiola will want to keep his remarkable FA Cup record intact, and his side should coast through into the fourth round.
For my first pick, I have been quite bold and sided with the Correct Scoreline, and City to register a 4-0 victory, which is available at 6/1 with Paddy Power.
Bernardo Silva to produce a moment of magic
While City have a bounty of attacking riches at their disposal, there are plenty of players that can put on a masterclass.
Bernardo Silva slots into this category, and while he can thread eye-of-the-needle passes through to the likes of Haaland, the Portuguese midfielder has a goal or two in him.
His class is undeniable and he is always looking to make things happen. Against Everton last month, he pounced onto a Jordan Pickford error before bending a shot from outside the area into the top right-hand corner of the net.
To date, he’s netted six times in all competitions, and he could open his FA Cup account this term against Huddersfield.
Silva could rubber stamp the victory and net the final goal of the game. He’s trading at an inviting 17/2 with bet365 should you wish to pursue that outcome.
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