FA Cup: Manchester City thrash Salford 8-0, Liverpool qualify for Round 4 |

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Manchester City made light work of fourth-tier Salford City with an 8-0 thumping in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad on Saturday, while Liverpool also progressed with a 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley at Anfield.

Salford, co-owned by a group of former Manchester United greats including Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes, were no match for a dominant City side, despite their recent form. A much-changed Manchester City line-up showed no signs of complacency, as they swept the League Two outfit aside with clinical finishing and fluid attacking play.

Divin Mubama marked his senior debut with a goal, Jack Grealish ended his year-long goal drought by converting a penalty, and James McAtee netted a second-half hat-trick in a complete performance from Pep Guardiola’s men.

It took just eight minutes for City to open the scoring, with Jeremy Doku’s direct run and a precise pass finding the onrushing Grealish, whose cut-back was coolly finished by the Belgian to hit the post and into the net. Mubama doubled the advantage with a simple tap-in after another assist from Doku, before Nico O’Reilly added a third shortly before the break, controlling a pass from Doku to steer home his first goal for the club.

Grealish got his name on the scoresheet in the 49th minute after winning and converting a penalty following a foul in the box. The floodgates opened as McAtee added three more goals in quick succession, scoring twice from open play and completing his hat-trick with a spot-kick after Doku was fouled in the area.

With the game long out of reach, City cruised to a record-breaking scoreline, and even Doku himself converted a penalty late on to further rub salt in Salford’s wounds.

“I think Man City and Pep have never disrespected anybody, and tonight they showed us why they are who they are and why he is who he is,” said Salford boss Karl Robinson, whose team had conceded no goals in their last six matches but were powerless against the Premier League giants.

Salford, despite their ambitions to rise up the English football pyramid, could not cope with the pace and technical ability of City’s attack. The club’s legendary co-owners, including Giggs, Butt, and Scholes, were present in the director’s box, while Giggs also took up his role as the club’s football director in the technical area.

“I’ve told the players, if someone had told me we’d concede eight goals in seven games, I would have taken it. I just didn’t expect it to be all in one match,” Robinson joked after the final whistle.

Guardiola had made nine changes to the team that beat West Ham United last weekend, but the Spanish manager had his key players on standby on the bench should any danger arise. That was never likely, as City were quick to assert control from the opening whistle.

Liverpool Ease Past Accrington Stanley

Meanwhile, Liverpool eased past Accrington Stanley with a dominant 4-0 victory at Anfield. Manager Arne Slot’s side were never truly tested as they maintained their charge in the competition.

The Reds were in control from the first whistle, with Diogo Jota opening the scoring in the 17th minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold doubled the lead just before the break, firing a stunning shot into the top corner from outside the box.

In the second half, goals from Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa sealed the comfortable win. Alexander-Arnold’s performance was particularly notable, as the fullback, recently the subject of intense criticism for his display against Manchester United the previous week, showcased his class with a dazzling first-half strike.

“I can talk for hours about that! Unbelievable!” Slot said of Alexander-Arnold’s effort. “I think it was good for him to play again in our own stadium, to feel the reception of the fans again.”

The only major upset of the day came at Brentford, where the Premier League side were stunned by Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle, who earned a 1-0 victory. In contrast, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Brighton & Hove Albion all comfortably progressed to the fourth round, ensuring a familiar mix of Premier League powerhouses and lower-league underdogs will feature in the next stage.

While City and Liverpool have set the bar high with dominant performances, the FA Cup remains as unpredictable as ever, with more drama set to unfold in the coming rounds.