Manchester City needed patience to finally pull clear against Salford City, edging past their League Two visitors in the FA Cup as Phil Foden’s difficult spell continued.
City controlled most of the ball from the opening minutes but found it hard to turn that dominance into clear chances. Salford stayed organised and made it a frustrating night for Pep Guardiola’s side, who lacked their usual sharpness in the final third.
Foden started with plenty of responsibility on the ball but again struggled to make a decisive impact. The England international could not find the rhythm City required, with moves often breaking down around him, underlining why he has slipped out of first-choice status.
Salford offered little going forward but defended with discipline and made City work for every opening. The Premier League champions kept pushing, yet their play was laboured and the tempo rarely rose to the level expected.
As the match wore on, City eventually forced the breakthrough to secure their place in the next round, but the overall performance remained below their usual standard. For Foden, it was another evening that raised questions rather than providing answers, even in a win over lower-league opposition.
City move on in the FA Cup, though Guardiola will know his side must improve quickly, while Foden’s struggles continue despite being handed another chance to impress.
