Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town (FA Cup Third Round): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch | OneFootball

Manchester City start their 2024 calendar year in the third round of the FA Cup, as they host Huddersfield Town at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

2023 was as good as they come for Pep Guardiola’s side, winning a staggering five trophies across the year, including a historic treble, before a UEFA Super Cup victory in Athens and a FIFA Club World Cup trophy in Saudi Arabia.

The quest for even more success this year starts as the sky blues host Huddersfield, welcoming the Championship side back to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since a certain Sergio Aguero put them to the sword, scoring a hat trick in a 6-1 win back in 2018.

City’s last outing was a routine 2-0 victory over Sheffield United at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday, in a comfortable ending to a remarkable 12 months, as the blues earnt their final three points of the year.

It was a quick start to the match following an opening period of dominance, which was rounded off as Rodrigo picked up the ball, driving 15 yards before unleashing a shot into the bottom left corner, giving Manchester City a deserved lead.

Julian Alvarez doubled the lead and finished the scoring, when he found himself on the end of a Phil Foden cross, topping off a sensational passage of play leading to the goal, giving Manchester City all three points.

Anything less than a victory in a similar fashion would be surprising in this one, with the Premier League champions hosting the side 21st in the Championship with one win in their last eight.

With that being said, here are all the key details you need ahead of Manchester City’s FA Cup opener for the 2023/24 season, as they host Huddersfield Town in the third round!

Fixture Details

Manchester City take on Darren Moore’s Huddersfield Town in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday January 7th, with kick-off scheduled for 14:00 GMT.

Team News

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku have all returned to first-team training following their respective injuries, but is unsure whether they will feature.

John Stones remains unavailable for this one, after his ankle injury sustained against Everton last month, however the Englishman has resumed individual training in an encouraging sign for all concerned.

Rodrigo could be absent this weekend following the passing of his grandmother, with Pep Guardiola revealing the Spaniard has been in Madrid this week alongside close family.

A quartet of first-teamers have also been battling illness in recent days, with Guardiola revealing that Kalvin Phillips, Matheus Nunes, Bernardo Silva, and Scott Carson all having endured the problem.

Head-To-Head

A draw is actually the most common result in this fixture, with 30 of the 80 games between the two ending honours even, with Manchester City winning 28 and Huddersfield Town just 22.

City famously defeated the Terriers 10-1 back in 1987, with only four different scorers, with three different players all scoring a hat trick.

The last encounter between these two ended in a 0-3 victory for Manchester City at the John Smith’s Stadium, courtesy of goals from Danilo, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling back in January 2019.

How to watch

For viewers in the UK, Sunday’s game has not been selected for television coverage. Radio commentary will be provided on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Manchester.

Viewers in the United States can catch all the action on ESPN+.

City Xtra will also have live coverage of the contest on our social media channels and our live watchalong show on YouTube from 13:00 (UK).