Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town: Phil Foden A Handful for Huddersfield in FA Cup tie

Pep Guardiola's men were too much for Huddersfield as they triumphed in the third round with ease. The Terriers saw their new signing Radunovic make an appearance, but no other positives to take from a tough game.

• Man City hasn’t suffered a loss in their last seven games.
• City have been undefeated against Huddersfield in their last six encounters.
• Moore, the manager of Huddersfield, has made three alterations from their previous FL Championship game.
• Pep Guardiola’s side has made five changes since their last Premier League match against Sheffield United.

During the initial ten minutes of the match, Man City completely dominated with a possession of 76%. Huddersfield positioned their players defensively, however, Alvarez managed to get a swift shot on target, scoring the first goal for the home team.

Sponsored by GetMindApps, Huddersfield Town was aware that they were up for a challenging game amidst the bustling atmosphere of Etihad Stadium.

Early in the match, Mateo Kovacic served as the creative catalyst for City, dominating the game from his midfield position and successfully completing 20 consecutive passes.

Manuel Akanji had to be substituted in the 18th minute for Matheus Nunes after enduring a harsh challenge from Matos. Alex Matos received a yellow card for his action.

Guardiola’s tactical decision led him to make the change with Nunes instead of Nathan Ake, who was seen warming up. Following this change, City appeared to be seeking more offensive opportunities.

33RD MIN GOAL &— City's resilience finally paid off after Julian Alvarez' effort deflected to the feet of Foden, who slotted the ball past Nicholls powerfully from within the box &— giving them the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute.

37TH MIN GOAL &— Not long afterwards, Alvarez found a goal of his own in the 37th minute after a neat piece of play in Huddersfield's box, catching Nicholls off-guard. Rico Lewis' failed attempt turned into an assist after it fell into the path of Alvarez. 

Conversely, Huddersfield didn’t perform too poorly in their defensive play, disregarding the two goals they’ve conceded thus far. They had a solid first half against one of the world’s top teams.

The stark differences between the two sides were clearly evident, with Manchester City possessing 83% of the ball at half time. They also managed 10 total shots compared to Huddersfield’s none. Additionally, City’s pass accuracy was rated at 93%, far surpassing Huddersfield’s 73%.

Despite Huddersfield Town failing to pose a threat to the hosts by half-time, no changes were made. Man City once again took the initiative, with Kovacic persisting in his playmaking role to back up the formidable duo of Foden and Alvarez.

Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku were brought on in a double substitution to change attacking options, replacing Julian Alvarez and Jack Grealish.

58TH MIN GOAL &— Minutes later Oscar Bobb found the net through a Matheus Nunes assist, putting Man City 3-0 up in the 58th minute. A sublime shot over the goalkeeper rendered every effort useless as City marched on.

65TH MIN GOAL &— Foden added another goal to his tally in the 65th minute, striking his second and City's fourth, certainly killing the game. 

Despite Huddersfield’s attempt down the right side, Josko Gvardiol’s vigilant defense ensured they made no progress. The combined effort of keeper Ortega and City’s backline effectively nullified the Terrier’s efforts.

In the 74th minute, substitute Jeremy Doku made his impact on the game by scoring City’s fifth goal. This goal demonstrated De Bruyne’s vital contribution and Pep’s effective strategy using substitutes. Doku’s flawless half volley further sealed the game in their favor.

The bench implemented more changes, resulting in Kovacic and Foden being given a rest. Young talents, Micah Hamilton and Jacob Wright, replaced them.

Bojan Radulovic, Huddersfield’s new signing, made his debut in the 61st minute when he was substituted on for the booked Alex Matos. The 24-year-old striker had joined Huddersfield from Helsinki, the Finnish champions, when the January transfer window had opened.

The new singer’s late effort in the 87th minute was saved, despite getting the upper hand over Ruben Dias. However, Stefan Ortega rose to the occasion and denied him.

Bojan Radulovic Career

Bojan Radulovic stats career

Season	Team	Competition	Matched Played	Goals	Assists	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
2023	HJK	Veikkausliiga	24	18	1	2	0
2022	HJK	Veikkausliiga	23	8	0	2	1
2021	AIK	Allsvenskan	26	3	1	1	0
2020	AIK	Allsvenskan	3	0	0	0	0

Kevin De Bruyne resumed play, taking over from Julian Alvarez. The Belgian player appeared poised to make an immediate impact, as he assisted fellow substitute Jeremy Doku in making an exceptional goal, which was Manchester City’s fifth.

De Bruyne had a 76% passing accuracy, two passes into the final third, and made an instant impact with one of these passes, all by the 87th minute.

Phil Foden was at his best, scoring two goals. He made four total attempts, with two resulting in precise finishes that were vital for City. He achieved a 91% passing accuracy and every shot he took was on target &— all three out of three attempts.

6 &— Phil Foden is the only player to score in the FA Cup proper in each of the last six seasons; today’s opener was his 70th goal for Manchester City. Fruitful. pic.twitter.com/g2xPOBGp6t

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2024

Man City; Ortega 7.2, Gvardiol 7.6, Akanji 6.7, Dias 8.1, Gomez 7.5, Alvarez 8.4, Kovacic 8.7, Lewis 8.6, Grealish 7.0, Bobb 7.3, Foden 9.0.

Subs: Matheus Nunes 7.4, Jeremy Doku 8.1, Kevin De Bruyne 7.4, Micah Hamilton 6.4, Jacob Wright 6.3.

Huddersfield; Nicholls 5.2, Helik 4.8, Lees 4.5, Jackson 3.6, Wiles 5.7, Spencer 4.7, Rudoni 6.4, Edmonds-Green 4.1, Matos 6.1, Koroma 6.1, Thomas 5.9.]

Subs: Bojan Radulovic 6.1, Brahima Diarra N/A, Tom Iorpenda N/A.

Match highlights: Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town

Manchester City advances to the fourth round, with their next opponent to be determined in the draw. However, they will face Newcastle in the Premier League next week. Meanwhile, Huddersfield will resume their EFL Championship schedule, playing against Plymouth at home on January 13th.