No Pep, but no problem for Man City against Swindon in FA Cup

Swindon Town of League Two will attempt to shatter the odds in the FA Cup on Friday, when they meet a Manchester City side in rampant form.

It will be the first meeting of the sides in 20 years, when City came out on top in a third-round tie thanks to goals from Paulo Wanchope and Kevin Horlock.

Now the Etihad outfit boast some of the greatest players on the planet and undoubtedly one of the best teams. Even with the prospect of rotation, and with manager Pep Guardiola absent with Covid, they are priced at 1.26 to win, with the draw on offer at 7.8 and the Robins a distant 15.5 to secure an unlikely win.

Swindon not home birds

Swindon’s recent form may be disappointing, with just one league win in their last five, though that success came in their previous outing, when second-placed Northampton visited the County Ground. An astonishing four goals from Harry McKirdy, though, secured a 5-2 victory.

They are a side that has typically performed better away from home this season, however. In league play, they have only three wins from 11 home fixtures while their two FA Cup victories this season, including a 3-0 upset win over Crewe, have come on the road.

It has been a decade since they progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup, last doing so in 2011-12 thanks to a victory over then-Premier League outfit Wigan. Their challenge is far greater this time around.

Pep Guardiola will miss Man City's trip to Swindon in the FA Cup

 

City alert after scare

Manchester City have won 13 of their last 14 matches in all competitions, dispatching opponents such as Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal over that period. Indeed, the one exception, a loss away to RB Leipzig, was a game with nothing riding on it.

There is no doubt that manager Pep Guardiola will treat the FA Cup with the reverence that it deserves and indeed they are favourites to win the competition. Although City exited the competition at the semi-final stage last season, they fielded strong teams throughout, including a fourth-round match away to then League Two side Cheltenham.

City were given a scare on that occasion, trailing 1-0 with just 10 minutes remaining. Although they ultimately turned the tables to secure what looked like a comfortable 3-1 victory, that experience alone should have put the squad on alert ahead of Friday’s trip.

Silva lining

It would be a major upset if City failed to win, but to achieve added value they can be backed at 1.64 to win to nil. Swindon have failed to net in three of 11 home league fixtures, so it is not a stretch to see them struggling against Guardiola’s men.

Meanwhile, the scoring market also has value. Bernardo Silva has been involved in nine goals in his last 10 FA Cup starts, scoring five of these. He is 2.24 to score at any time.

Recommended Bets:

Man City to win to nil: Yes @ 1.64
Anytime Goalscorer: Bernardo Silva @ 2.24