Salford City, often seen as a shadow of Manchester United due to its ownership by former United stars, faced a humiliating 8-0 defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup third round. The team, competing in the fourth tier of English football, was overwhelmed by City’s relentless attack at the Etihad Stadium.
Salford had kept six consecutive clean sheets before this match, making the massive scoreline even more shocking. Frustrated coach Carl Robinson expressed disbelief, stating, “If someone had told me we’d concede 8 goals in 7 matches, I would have accepted it. But conceding 8 in a single match is hard to process.”
City’s scoring spree was led by James McAtee, who netted a hat-trick with goals in the 62nd, 72nd, and 81st minutes, marking his career’s first. Jeremy Doku added two goals (8th and 69th minutes), while Dibin Mubama (20th), Nico O’Reilly (43rd), and Jack Grealish (49th) also found the net, with Grealish and Doku scoring from penalties.
Salford’s co-owners and former United players Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Ryan Giggs witnessed the thrashing from the director’s box and technical area. Robinson acknowledged City’s dominance, praising Pep Guardiola’s squad for their professionalism and excellence on the field.
