Manchester City vs Huddersfield Match Preview (1 Viewer)

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Defending FA Cup champions Manchester City kick off their title defense this Sunday against struggling Championship team Huddersfield Town at the Etihad Stadium in the third round.

Manchester City, under the leadership of Pep Guardiola, enter the competition with a four-game winning streak, while Huddersfield Town has faced defeats in their last two matches in the Championship.

The sun shone brightly at Wembley on June 3 when Manchester City secured their seventh FA Cup title, ending a four-year drought. Two goals from Ilkay Gundogan marked the culmination of their impressive 2022-23 season, which included winning the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup.

Following their success in Saudi Arabia, Guardiola's team secured six points in their last two Premier League matches against Everton and Sheffield United, winning 2-0 last weekend. Although they still trail leaders Liverpool by five points, Manchester City has been in top form, scoring at least twice in each of their last seven games across all competitions. In addition, the team has a strong record in FA Cup home matches, winning their last 11 since the 2014-15 season.

As for Huddersfield Town, the New Year hasn't brought much fortune. Darren Moore's side, currently in 21st place in the Championship, had a challenging start to January with a 4-1 defeat against Leicester City.

Their recent history in the FA Cup hasn't been impressive, with four third-round exits in the last five editions. The last time they eliminated the holders was in the 1960-61 season when they sent Wolverhampton Wanderers home.

Although Huddersfield managed a goalless draw at the Etihad in May 2018, their encounters in the 2018-19 Premier League season saw Manchester City dominating with a 9-1 aggregate score. While the Terriers may find a glimmer of hope in the history of City's third-round exits, the majority of their fans are making the trip with cautious optimism rather than expectation.

INJURIES & SUSPENSION​

Unlike several other Premier League teams grappling with the impacts of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup tournaments, Manchester City has managed to remain largely unaffected. Jeremy Doku is also in contention for a comeback after overcoming a muscular issue.

However, there's a somber note in the injury report as Erling Haaland's fitness, dealing with a foot problem, is causing concern. Additionally, John Stones is still sidelined due to an ankle problem, and Rodri will be unavailable due to the passing of his grandmother.

A virus has been making the rounds at the Etihad, affecting key players like Scott Carson, Matheus Nunes, Kalvin Phillips, and Bernardo Silva. As a result, they are considered serious doubts for the upcoming third-round tie.

On the other hand, Huddersfield faces challenges with two players being called up for international duty. Charles Ondo will be representing Equatorial Guinea at the AFCON, while Japan has summoned defender Yuta Nakayama for the Asian Cup. The Terriers are already grappling with an injury crisis, worsened by left-back Jaheim Headley's ankle injury in a recent match against Leicester, forcing him to exit in the first half.

A lengthy list of injured players, including Oliver Turton, Patrick Jones, Jonathan Hogg, Kian Harratt, Josh Ruffels, Matty Pearson, Daniel Ward, Chris Maxwell, and Delano Burgzorg, fills the Terriers' treatment room.

Despite their challenges, Huddersfield has made two new signings this month – Chelsea-owned Alex Matos and Serbian striker Bojan Radulovic. However, Radulovic is still awaiting international clearance before he can join the squad.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS​

Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ortega; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Gomez; Lewis, Kovacic; Bobb, Foden, Hamilton; Alvarez

Huddersfield Town possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Lees, Ayina, Helik; Kasumu, Rudoni, Wiles, Diarra, Edmonds-Green; Thomas, Koroma

EXPERT PREDICTION​

TAP TO SEE OUR PREDICTION

Manchester City 3-0 Huddersfield

Despite Haaland being out of action and Guardiola likely to make numerous changes, Huddersfield's primary aim at the Etihad will be to limit the scoreline. No unexpected turns of events are anticipated on Sunday. Given Huddersfield's current struggles and the significant number of players missing, it seems likely that Manchester City's winning streak will persist as they smoothly progress into the fourth round.