The hosts dominated possession from the outset, moving the ball with their usual precision, but they were guilty of forcing play and allowing Salford brief spells in their half.

The breakthrough came through a touch of misfortune for the visitors as Alfie Dorrington turned a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri into his own net, giving City an early lead.

Salford had moments to threaten, with Kelly N'Mai and Ben Woodburn causing sporadic problems on the flanks.

A dangerous free-kick from N'Mai and a curling effort from the same player were both dealt with by James Trafford, who kept the clean sheet intact with crucial saves. Despite their limited opportunities, the visitors remained competitive and briefly tested City's defensive organisation.

City continued to probe and create chances, with Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and John Stones all seeing efforts blocked or cleared.

Phil Foden and Rico Lewis helped maintain City's dominance in possession, winning free-kicks in their own half to relieve pressure and control the tempo. However, a lack of clinical finishing in the first half allowed Salford to stay in the contest longer than expected.

The second goal arrived after the interval, easing any remaining doubts. A set-piece situation saw Marc Guehi rise in the box and fire a right-footed strike into the bottom right corner, doubling City's advantage and effectively sealing the tie.

From there, Manchester City controlled proceedings, while Salford struggled to create clear-cut chances despite patches of pressure.

In the closing stages, both sides had attempts blocked or kept out by key saves, but the result was never in doubt. The Etihad crowd witnessed a controlled, professional performance from Manchester City, who now progress in the FA Cup with a deserved 2-0 win over resilient opponents from Salford.

A. Dorrington

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