Man City vs Huddersfield Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 English FA Cup | Third Round
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THE FACTS
When is Man City vs Huddersfield on and what time does it start? Man City vs Huddersfield will take place on Sunday 7th January, 2024 – 14:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Man City vs Huddersfield? Visit each team’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Man City vs Huddersfield on in the UK? BBC and ITV share the rights to FA Cup matches so it is worth checking their schedules for Man City vs Huddersfield
Where can I stream Man City vs Huddersfield in the UK? If televised on BBC, Man City vs Huddersfield can be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website & app. If televised on ITV, the match can be streamed live on ITVX
THE LOWDOWN
MAN CITY
Manchester City are defending the FA Cup for just the second time in Pep Guardiola’s seven-and-a-half-year reign. Last season’s treble winners tend to click into some sort of elite, prestige gear that nobody can match around this stage of the campaign and that could well be the case once again as they march through late winter and into the spring.
They come into this one on the back of a comfortable but still less than fluent 2-0 defeat of Sheffield United in their most recent outing, last weekend. That victory followed on from a come-from-behind 3-1 win at Goodison Park against Everton and, combined with their FIFA Club World Cup triumph last month, City have now suffered just one loss in their last 17 matches across all competitions.
HUDDERSFIELD
Huddersfield Town appear the latest lamb to the Etihad slaughter this weekend as The Terriers make the short trip from Yorkshire to Lancashire. This season started quite slowly after a dramatic escape last season and Neil Warnock departed the club by mutual consent mid-way through September, to be replaced by Darren Moore, where things have really stuttered.
The currently sit just three points and one place outside of the bottom three and the relegation places in the Championship with just five wins in their 26 games so far this season. They suffered three defeats in four matches over the festive period and were hammered 4-1 by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on New Year’s Day.
THE TEAM NEWS
MAN CITY
Kevin De Bruyne made his return to the Manchester City first-team squad last weekend and the Belgian international could start against Huddersfield as he continues his reintegration into the City squad.
Erling Braut Haaland is unlikely to feature this weekend but has returned to training, whilst Jeremy Doku has also returned but could well be involved. John Stones remains unavailable, whilst Bernardo Silva, Scott Carson, Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips are all suffering with flu-like symptoms.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Rodri; Foden, De Bruyne, Grealish; Alvarez
UNAVAILABLE: Stones (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Silva (Illness), Nunes (Illness), Carson (Illness), Phillips (Illness), Haaland (Injured)
HUDDERSFIELD
Darren Moore’s one confirmed absentee for this weekend’s trip will be Yuta Nakayama, who is missing due to being away with the Japanese national side at the 2024 AFC Asian Cup in the middle-east in Qatar.
However, he also has several injury doubts as Kyle Hudlin, Danny Ward, Jaheim Headley and Delano Burgzorg are all unavailable due to injury with Ollie Turton returning to first-team training but still unlikely to feature after an ACL.
PREDICTED XI (3-5-2): Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Ayina; Kasumu, Wiles, Edmonds-Green, Rudoni, Diarra; Thomas, Koroma
UNAVAILABLE: Nakayama (International Duty), Hudlin (Injured), Ward (Injured), Headley (Injured), Burgzorg (Injured), Turton (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE PREDICTION
Manchester City have not put up as many emphatic scorelines this season with a bit of more of a ruthless defensive edge getting them over line in the last 18 months or so – as shown by only managing to squeeze past bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United by two goals last weekend. However, they face a Huddersfield Town side that are struggling to cope with the demands of second-tier football, let alone a historically exceptional team. A heavy home win is to be expected.
TIP: MAN CITY TO WIN -1 HANDICAP
