Gary Neville instantly makes Pep Guardiola dig after Man City draw Salford City in FA Cup third-round

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Manchester City have discovered their FA Cup third-round opponents after Pep Guardiola’s out-of-sorts side were handed a home clash against League Two side Salford City.

City’s dire run of form over the past six weeks means that the FA Cup is now their most likely route to domestic silverware this season, as Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool has left them fifth in the table, a huge 11 points adrift of Arne Slot’s table toppers, with Jamie Carragher even suggesting that City now have a new fight for a top four place on their hands.

Pep Guardiola’s side have lost six of their last seven matches across all competitions, a run which started when Tottenham dumped them out of the Carabao Cup in October and fans will now be hoping that by the time the FA Cup fixture rolls around, City will have been able to stop the rot and progress in the competition.

But the biggest narrative around this tie will be the fact that Salford City are owned by members of Manchester United’s Class of 92, with majority shareholder Gary Neville quickly responding to the draw on X.

Gary Neville leads reaction to Man City vs Salford City FA Cup draw

Neville could not resist a playful – and topical – dig at Pep Guardiola upon hearing the draw, as he took to X to post: “He’s getting sacked in the morning @SalfordCityFC”.

Neville’s tweet came after Guardiola was subject to that chant at Anfield when his Liverpool side were 2-0 down, to which the City boss brilliantly responded by raising six fingers to remind the home fans how many Premier League titles he has won with the club.

Draw completed Man City’s festive schedule

The Christmas schedule is always one of the most hectic and telling times of the football season and City now know exactly how their festive fixture list looks.

City’s Boxing Day match is a home clash against Everton and they will then end 2024 with a match against another side from the bottom half of the table when they visit Leicester City on December 29.

An Etihad clash against West Ham on January 4 is another match that the champions feel they should win, before their FA Cup tie against Salford City the following weekend.