Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for today's FA Cup clash between
Manchester City and
Rotherham United at the Etihad Stadium!
The Premier League's big boys avoided any major shocks on Friday and Saturday, but this one would be the biggest of the lot as Championship strugglers Rotherham look to topple the champions of England. Will we have a memorable cup upset, or will Pep Guardiola's charges safely negotiate this banana skin?
We have an hour until kickoff, so let's start by checking out the team news...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling
MAN CITY SUBS: Muric, Danilo, Laporte, Sane, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Sandler
ROTHERHAM STARTING XI: Rodak; Vyner, Ajayi, Robertson, Mattock; Forde, Vaulks, Wiles, Taylor; Williams, Smith
ROTHERHAM SUBS: Price, Wood, Raggett, Jones, Palmer, Newell
What can we make of those two sides, then?
Well, it is a strong team named by Pep Guardiola, who does not make a full 11 changes as expected despite the ferocious tempo at which the Liverpool game was played just three days ago.
The scary thing is that City have still made eight changes to that side, though, and they are still able to name a formidable starting lineup despite being made up of largely second choices right now.
The most notable City inclusion - and captain for the day - is Kevin De Bruyne, who was left as an unused sub in that Liverpool game following recent trouble with a muscle injury.
It is a different injury to the knee problems which have hampered the Belgian for much of the campaign, but City are still expected to be cautious with his recovery and today seems like a perfect occasion just to ease him back into the team and get some much-needed minutes under his belt.
He replaces Bernardo in the team after the Portuguese ran further than any other player has done in any other Premier League games this season against Liverpool.
© Reuters
Rotherham will not be too happy to see De Bruyne come into the side, and that is only the beginning of their concerns, with Ilkay Gundogan coming in for Fernandinho and the prodigious
Phil Foden completing the midfield trio alongside them.
Further forward, there is something of a surprise start for Sterling after he featured against Liverpool just three days ago, although Brahim Diaz's imminent move to Real Madrid does limit their options for rotation in the front three to a certain extent.
Not that Man City's attacking options are anything to complain about, of course. £60m summer signing
Riyad Mahrez comes back into the starting XI for this one as Sane drops to the bench, while they are also able to replace Aguero with
Gabriel Jesus leading the line.
It is a front three which would not look out of place in a big Premier League or Champions League game and, when supplied by the creativity of De Bruyne, you have to worry for Rotherham today.
Sterling is one of three players to keep their place in the team from Thursday's win, and the other two come in defence as John Stones - who made that crucial goalline clearance - and Ederson retain their spots.
Back-up goalkeeper Muric had been expected to start but he is again forced to settle for a place on the bench, while even in a second-string side City are able to start the likes of Kyle Walker and Nicolas Otamendi. Zinchenko comes back into the side at left-back, having been taken out of the firing line against Liverpool, when Guardiola played Laporte as a makeshift full-back.
© Reuters
Rotherham, meanwhile, are able to welcome Zak Vyner and Clark Robertson back into their defence after injury concerns allowing Ajayi to switch back into the middle in a backline which shows two changes from the New Year's Day win over Preston.
Raggett and Wood are the players to drop out for the visitors, with both of them named on the bench this afternoon.
Billy Jones had been due to return from suspension in this match, but he picked up an injury concern in training on Friday and is only deemed fit enough for a place on the bench for today.
Rotherham are also without Kyle Vassell - who will return to first-team training next week - while Richie Towell is still suspended for this match.
Whereas Man City retained just three players from their last match, Rotherham make only three changes with the last of those coming in midfield as Forde replaces Palmer, who drops to the bench.
Will Vaulks and Michael Smith - whose goals picked up an overdue win for Rotherham last time out - both start again, with the official team sheet showing Williams leading the line alongside him.
There is no doubt that Man City come into this match as overwhelming favourites to progress, and with good reason too considering they are able to name such a strong side while still making eight changes.
Pep Guardiola's side endured a dreadful December by their own ludicrously high standards, but they have already got 2019 off to an ideal start and their recent dip in form does not change the fact that this is one of the best teams we have seen on these shores for a long time.
Today poses a much different test to the one Man City faced here on Thursday, when the Etihad Stadium was rocking for the visit of unbeaten league leaders Liverpool - a make-or-break match for Man City's title hopes.
It looked as though it might be heading for a draw when Firmino cancelled out Aguero's opener - a result which would have suited Liverpool far more than Man City - but Leroy Sane's pinpoint finish 18 minutes from time secured a crucial three points from the champions.
© Reuters
That victory closed the gap at the top of the table back to four points as Liverpool fell to their first defeat of the season, and while there is still plenty of work for Man City to do to overhaul that deficit, the pressure will just begin to grow on Liverpool's shoulders now.
It was a costly spell of three defeats in the space of four league games - having only lost three of their previous 70 - which left Man City playing catch-up, but they are right back in the race now with 17 games remaining.
There are still concerns for Pep Guardiola to iron out, though, and chief among them will be his side's defensive troubles in recent weeks.
Only Liverpool and Chelsea have conceded fewer goals than City in the league this season - and they remain the division's highest scorers - but it is now 11 matches without a clean sheet across all competitions for the champions, a run which stretches back to a 4-0 win over West Ham in November.
Today looks like being an ideal chance to end that wait for a clean sheet, although Man City will be wary of falling to another shock having been dumped out of this competition by League One Wigan Athletic in the fifth round last season.
Indeed, incredibly Man City have won just three of their last seven FA Cup games against sides from a lower division - losing three of those outings too - so there is a glimmer of hope for Rotherham today.
However, Man City have not fallen at the third-round stage since 2011-12 and have shown no signs of succumbing to an upset at home under Pep Guardiola in this competition so far, winning their two such matches by an aggregate scoreline of 9-2.
Indeed, across all competitions they have won 10 of their last 11 home games including Thursday's victory over Liverpool - although Crystal Palace's success here just before Christmas may also give Rotherham encouragement.
Pep Guardiola will be desperate to win this trophy too, as it is the only major domestic honour missing from his cabinet from the countries in which he has managed. This is a big week for their trophy hopes in general, incidentally, with the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against surprise package Burton Albion to come on Wednesday.
As a club, Man City have won the FA Cup five times before, but not since 2011 when their success ended a 35-year wait for major silverware of any kind.
© Reuters
Rotherham, by contrast, have never made it further than the fifth round in this competition, and they have only ever reached that stage twice, so they also fall down when it comes to FA Cup pedigree ahead of this match.
Manager Paul Warne has admitted that it will take a sprinkling of FA Cup "magic" for them to get a result today - and stranger things have happened in this competition - but it is a huge ask for the visitors.
The Millers have not even made it past the third round since the 2001-02 season, so even if they had been handed a substantially easier draw, hopes may not have been high of a lengthy cup run.
To put their task in perspective today, Rotherham have failed to win an FA Cup match of any kind since November 2013, losing all five since then and conceding at least two goals in each of those matches. Bradford City were the last team they beat in this competition, and now they are trying to topple the English champions away from home.
Not since December 2012 have Rotherham won an FA Cup match away from home - beating Notts County in a second round replay - and since then they have been beaten on the road by Aldershot, Leeds and Crewe, which doesn't bode well for their chances today.
Indeed, they have a pretty miserable record on the road this season too, failing to win any of their 14 away games across all competitions so far in 2018-19.
Rotherham have lost 10 and drawn four of those 14 away games - including defeat at the hands of Premier League opposition when they faced Everton in the EFL Cup second round back in August - and you have to go back to April for their last win on the road, which came against Gillingham in League One.
However, the Millers do come into this particular game off the back of a rare victory, with their 2-1 home triumph over Preston North End ending a nine-match winless streak.
That New Year's Day triumph over Preston was just their second win in 19 attempts home or away, and should they pull off an almighty upset this afternoon then it would be back-to-back victories for the first time since August.
The Millers had to hold on for their first win in 10 too, with Nmecha pulling one back for Preston 12 minutes from time, but they successfully saw out the 2-1 victory to get 2019 off to a promising start.
© Reuters
Perhaps Rotherham's best hope this afternoon will be to try to hold out for a draw, which is easier said than done, of course, but it is something they have made a habit out of recently.
The Millers have shared the spoils in 10 of their last 17 matches across all competitions, and should they manage another one today then they will fancy their chances a lot more of getting something out of a replay at New York Stadium.
Quite how they go about doing that is the problem, though. Rotherham are 21st in the Championship table, just one place and three points above the relegation zone coming into this match.
Only two teams have scored fewer goals than the Millers this season as well, while they are without a clean sheet in 12 games stretching all the way back to a goalless draw with Middlesbrough in October.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the Etihad Stadium, which means that it is time for a prediction!
You can never discount the possibility of an upset in this competition... but one here looks really unlikely. Everything points towards a Man City win and it should be quite a comfortable one for them too.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Man City 4-0 Rotherham
This is the first meeting between these two sides since March 2002, when they faced off in a second-tier clash.
That particular game ended in a 1-1 draw, as a Rotherham team containing current boss Warne held a Man City side boasting the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Shaun Goater, Stuart Pearce and Richard Dunne.
This is only the second time that these two sides have been drawn together in the FA Cup, and Man City eventually ran out victorious on the previous occasion in 1978-79.
City needed a replay in that third-round tie, though, only managing a goalless draw in the initial match before running out 4-2 winners at the second attempt.
Indeed, Man City have never lost in 10 previous meetings with Rotherham across all competitions, winning seven of those and drawing three.
This will be Rotherham's first ever visit to the Etihad Stadium, but their last away game against City also ended in defeat with Ali Benarbia netting a late winner as the hosts triumphed 2-1 at Maine Road.
Right, we're almost ready for kickoff at the Etihad, so let's have a quick reminder of the team news...
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; De Bruyne, Gundogan, Foden; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling
ROTHERHAM STARTING XI: Rodak; Vyner, Ajayi, Robertson, Mattock; Forde, Vaulks, Wiles, Taylor; Williams, Smith
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Rotherham get us underway at the Etihad!
OFF THE BAR! Ominous start from Man City as they hit the woodwork inside the opening two minutes. De Bruyne darts down the right channel and clips a cross into the box which Jesus meets with a header which hits the top of the bar! He should have scored!
CHANCE! Brilliant defending from Ajayi as he makes a crucial last-ditch challenge on Sterling inside his own box. His tackle deflects back off Sterling, though, and flashes narrowly wide of the target.
Rodak now needs to be quick off his line to collect a pass over the top which Sterling was interested in again. City are slicing the visitors open at will already.
Not that the Rotherham fans will have their spirit dampened. They are giving the 'Ole!' treatment to every successful pass their side make in these opening exchanges.
UPDATE: There has been an early goal elsewhere in the FA Cup today, with Doncaster breaking the deadlock against Preston at Deepdale.
CLOSE! Another City attack, another City chance. Mahrez fires a low cross into the six-yard box and Jesus is there, but the defender does just enough to deny him a simple finish - although Jesus was in front of him and really should have scored.
SAVE! Mahrez this time skips onto his right foot and goes for goal from a tight angle, forcing the keeper to turn it behind for a corner.
GOAL! MAN CITY 1-0 ROTHERHAM (RAHEEM STERLING)
GOAL! An early goal seemed inevitable, and sure enough Man City break the deadlock after only 12 minutes.
It is a nice little goal too, with De Bruyne sliding a lovely pass in to Sterling, who jinks past one defender in the box before curling his finish into the corner. They made it look so easy.
© Reuters
Good response from Rotherham as they threaten an instant equaliser from a set piece. The ball eventually falls to Ajayi, who sees his deflected shot fly wide of the near post.
CHANCE! Half a chance from the resulting corner as Robertson climbs highest to meet it, but he cannot get above the ball and puts his header over the top.
Sterling is looking really dangerous today. He darts down the left wing again here and reaches the byline before pulling the ball back into a dangerous area. Rotherham scramble it clear, but they are struggling to deal with the goalscorer.
UPDATE: An early blow for non-league Woking as they fall behind against Watford.
Meanwhile, Forde puts pressure on Ederson and dives into a challenge, bringing the keeper down. It was a naughty tackle in truth, but Ederson did not make much of it.
Here is something you don't see often - the referee's assistant is being subbed off because of injury! On comes the fourth official in his place!
This is a lengthy stoppage for the change of officials as the fourth official gets wired up.
YELLOW CARD! Wiles is the first player to have his name taken for a cynical tug on Sterling to stop a counter.
UPDATE: Leeds have equalised after falling behind against QPR, while there could be an upset on the cards at Bramall Lane with Barnet beating Sheffield United.
Concern for Man City here as Sterling goes down off the pitch and stays down too. He will receive treatment while the match continues.
The new City centurion is back on now...
CLOSE! Ederson is a lucky boy here! He tries something too clever in possession and is dispossessed on his own byline, and he is fortunate that Stones is also back there to clear the danger inside his own six-yard box.
CHANCE! Man City immediately go up the other end and create a half-chance as De Bruyne picks out a cross to the back post, but Jesus can only head off target with the cross arriving a little too high for him.
CHANCE! It is not Jesus's day so far today! He has another golden chance as a low ball arrives into the box from De Bruyne, but he completely miskicks it and another opportunity goes begging.
Gundogan tries his luck from range, but it flies a long, long way over the crossbar.
Here is the goal - and the only goal - which separates the two sides so far...
YELLOW CARD! Sterling goes into the book for a sliding challenge on Smith on the edge of the Rotherham box.
Otamendi is penalised for a robust aerial challenge to gift Rotherham a free kick in a good crossing position. Nothing comes of it, but those are the moments Rotherham will be hoping for while the deficit remains only one.
A lovely ball into the box from Vyner sees Ederson drawn off his line and he clatters into both Taylor and Stones, but crucially got something on the ball. Not entirely convincing from him again, but he did enough.
This is a good spell for the visitors. Smith plucks a ball out of the sky with a delightful touch before laying it off and racing into the box, but the eventual cross is disappointing.
Less than five minutes remaining until half time now, and Rotherham will be delighted to be still within one goal. It looked as though it might be a cricket score in the opening exchanges, but they have tightened things up since that opening goal.
CHANCE! Zinchenko sends a cross into the middle and once again Jesus climbs highest in the middle, but he cannot steer his header on target. Not his best chance of the game, but another sight of goal.
GOAL! MAN CITY 2-0 ROTHERHAM (PHIL FODEN)
GOAL! Man City's relentless pressure pays off right on the stroke of half time, and it is a rather fortunate one for Foden!
Gundogan clips a lovely pass over the defence for the youngster, who takes a touch but then sees the ball bounce off his knee which takes it past the keeper. Unlucky for Rotherham, but Foden does not care!
CHANCE! Gundogan does exactly the same again as he clips a ball over the defence and into the box. This time it is Mahrez who is on the end of it, but his close-range header is straight at the keeper.
GOAL! MAN CITY 3-0 ROTHERHAM (SEMI AJAYI, OWN GOAL)
GOAL! Man City have taken this game away from Rotherham in the closing stages of this first half.
Walker drives down the right and slides a dangerous low cross into the middle, and Ajayi has no option other than to try to clear the danger otherwise Sterling would have been left with a tap-in. The Rotherham defender can only send the ball slamming into his own net, though, and it is well and truly game over now.
There were three minutes of added time signalled, by the way.
CHANCE! Man City could add a fourth and a third in quick succession as Sterling picks up a loose pass, but he slices his finish well off target.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 3-0 ROTHERHAM
A quickfire double at the end of the first half sees Man City take complete control over the contest at the Etihad Stadium, despite Rotherham acquitting themselves well for the most part in that first half.
City have created almost all of the chances and are clearly the far superior team, but it was only a couple of bad pieces of luck at the end of the half which has taken them away from Rotherham.
The opening goal arrived after only 12 minutes - and already after a host of chances for Man City - with Sterling capping his bright start with a lovely goal.
The returning Kevin De Bruyne racked up another assist for his tally as he slid the ball in for Sterling inside the area, and the winger took a touch before jinking past a defender and curling his finish into the bottom corner.
Rotherham responded well to that setback, but Man City finally got their second just before half time through Phil Foden's muddled finish.
It was a lovely pass from Gundogan which created the opening in the first place as he clipped a pass over the defence for Foden. The youngster tried to bring the ball down, but it then deflected in off his knee and past the keeper in fortuitous fashion.
There was also a stroke of luck about Man City's third moments later, which came via the boot of Rotherham defender
Semi Ajayi.
Walker was the main protagonist on that occasion as he exchanged passes on his way down the right flank before firing a low ball into the box which Ajayi fired into his own net when trying to clear the danger. Ajayi had little choice but to try to clear it with Sterling lurking behind him, but he could not get enough on it to loft it over the bar.
KICKOFF: Man City get us back underway at the Etihad Stadium. No changes from either side.
SAVE! Rodak is forced into an early save as De Bruyne whips a cross/shot into the box which needs the keeper to help it wide.
UPDATE: Fulham have finally broken the deadlock against Oldham at Craven Cottage, while Hull lead Millwall at The Den.
Here is Man City's second goal from a fortunate Foden...
GOAL! MAN CITY 4-0 ROTHERHAM (GABRIEL JESUS)
GOAL! Man City have their fourth, and this time Gabriel Jesus simply cannot miss!
It is all about Sterling as he shows electric pace to burst past Vyner down the left before playing a low pass into the middle which left Jesus with the simplest of finishes.
Things do not look like getting better for Rotherham - Leroy Sane is preparing to come on now. It is damage limitation mode for the visitors now.
MAN CITY SUB: Here is that change as Sane replaces Sterling.
De Bruyne reaches the byline down the right flank again and squeezes a low cross into the box, but Ajayi does really well to deny Jesus another tap-in from inside the six-yard box.
Half an hour remaining in this match now and Rotherham will want the final whistle right now. The game is over as a contest and the main question now is how many Man City will go on to get.
SHOT! Another slick move sees City come out from the edge of their own box to the edge of Rotherham's but it ends with Mahrez firing over from 25 yards.
CHANCE! Nice footwork from Jesus as he throws a few step-overs before getting his shot away from inside the box. Rodak makes the save, though, tipping it over the crossbar for a corner.
MAN CITY SUB: Change for the home side here as Philippe Sandler is handed a Man City debut, replacing De Bruyne.
Here is Man City's fourth of the afternoon as Jesus finally got his goal...
SAVE! Rodak is forced into a really good reaction save to deny a second own goal of the day! This time it is Vaulks who slices his clearance towards his own net, but Rodak claws it away.
UPDATE: Watford have now doubled their advantage against non-league Woking, while Doncaster lead Preston once again.
GOAL! MAN CITY 5-0 ROTHERHAM (RIYAD MAHREZ)
GOAL! Man City have their fifth as Mahrez joins the party with another lovely goal at the end of a slick passing move. Zinchenko fires the ball in to Mahrez, who exchanges a one-two with Gundogan before sweeping his finish past the keeper.
ROTHERHAM SUB: Change for the visitors here as Sean Raggett replaces Taylor.
MAN CITY SUB: The hosts also make a change - their last of the afternoon - as Danilo replaces Stones.
UPDATE: We could have an upset at Craven Cottage! Oldham have levelled things up against Fulham!
SAVE! Walker looks to get in on the act with a powerful strike from just outside the area, but Rodak watches it all the way and turns it behind for a corner.
GOAL! MAN CITY 6-0 ROTHERHAM (NICOLAS OTAMENDI)
GOAL! We are well and truly in rout territory now! Man City make it six at the Etihad as Otamendi rises highest from a corner and plants his header beyond the keeper.
Rotherham's record FA Cup defeat is 6-0, and with 10 minutes remaining there is every chance that they could break that unwanted record today.
Forde clips a cross into the box which Ajayi meets with a looping header into the six-yard box, but Ederson makes the punch under pressure.
Rotherham have not let their heads drop completely in this match. They are still throwing men forward in search of a consolation.
GOAL! MAN CITY 7-0 ROTHERHAM (LEROY SANE)
GOAL! It is seven for Manchester City as Sane gets his name on the scoresheet, although again it comes via a slice of luck as the German's effort from just outside the area takes a big deflection on its way past the keeper.
Just a few more minutes for Rotherham to hold out here. The gulf in class has really shown today and Man City have never looked in danger.
CHANCE! Big chance for Rotherham to grab a consolation as Forde's low pass into the middle finds Smith, who goes for goal. It is too close to Ederson, though, and the keeper makes the save.
ROTHERHAM SUBS: Double change from Rotherham here as Vyner and Williams make way for Wood and Palmer.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 7-0 ROTHERHAM UNITED
Well, it doesn't get much more emphatic than that.
Just as Spurs did on Friday night, Manchester City hit seven past lower-league opposition on their way into the fourth round of the FA Cup, with seven different players on the scoresheet including an own goal.
The final scoreline is perhaps a little too harsh on the visitors, but there was a glaringly obvious gulf in class between the two sides and Man City were in no mood for mercy.
Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's FA Cup clash between Manchester City and Rotherham as the hosts run riot en route to the fourth round. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now.
