Manchester City will face Championship side Birmingham City in their opening match of the FA Cup this January.
Manchester City will open their FA Cup campaign on January 9 at the Etihad Stadium against Birmingham City. They currently sit 18th in the Championship table after 15 matches played, and City will be fully expecting a result at home.
The Citizens will be looking for redemption in this year’s competition after their surprise semi-final defeat to eventual FA Cup winners Arsenal. With the FA Cup set to start on time this year, the fixtures will continue to come thick and fast for a City team that remain alive in the Carabao Cup and Champions League.
More from Man City News
- Rodri believes City can have even more success this season
- Grealish, Stones, and Kovacic will NOT play tomorrow
- After Injury Guardiola is back in Etihad
- Humble Haaland Maintains Low Profile Leading Up to Ballon d’Or 2023
- Khadija Shaw and Erling Haaland nominated for NWF’s player of the season
A busy December separates City from the beginning of the FA Cup, and while the squad is fully fit at the moment, the match against Birmingham could be an opportunity for some crucial rotation. Younger players could also see an opportunity, but given manager Pep Guardiola’s burning desire to win every match possible, the likelihood of seeing a strong team remains. There were some lower league sides in the draw, but on the whole City should consider themselves fortunate to be drawing competition on the lower end of the second tier.
The FA Cup is not the top priority, but reclaiming England’s premier cup after last season’s defeat would be an exciting achievement. City will be viewed among the favorites given their incredible record in domestic cups under Guardiola, and the journey toward winning the second FA Cup of the Catalan’s tenure is set to get underway in just over a month with a favorable draw.