Man City vs Plymouth: Preview, predictions and lineups | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle hope to pull off another FA Cup giant killing when they take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Championship strugglers completed one of the great modern-day cup upsets in the fourth round as they beat runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool - albeit a heavily rotated Reds side - 1-0 at Home Park.

Miron Muslic has doubtessly had a positive impact on this Plymouth squad since he succeeded Wayne Rooney as manager, with the Austrian overseeing a subtle resurgence in recent weeks. They're now 22nd in the Championship and three points adrift of safety.

City haven't been the juggernaut of previous years in 2024/25, but this is still a huge occasion for the visitors. Pep Guardiola's side bounced back from defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool by beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Wednesday night.

They avoided a scare in the fourth round when they fell behind to a stunning Stefan Ortega own goal after Jamie Donley struck the crossbar with a remarkable effort from distance. The fading Kevin De Bruyne completed the turnaround at Leyton Orient to set up this fixture. After exiting the Champions League and crashing out of the title race at the end of 2024, the FA Cup is all City have left from a silverware-earning perspective this season.

Here is 90min's guide to Saturday's FA Cup fifth round tie.

What time does Man City vs Plymouth kick-off?

Man City vs Plymouth head-to-head record (last five games)

Current form (all competitions)

How to watch Man City vs Plymouth on TV - UK & US

Man City team news

Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet against Spurs / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Erling Haaland was back in the City team on Wednesday and didn't take long to return to the scoresheet after missing two games with a knee injury. Given that he has just recovered from a minor issue, Guardiola may rest the striker this weekend with an important Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest upcoming.

Omar Marmoush could lead the line, as he did in the fourth round.

Midfielder Nico O'Reilly could offer Josko Gvardiol respite at left-back, while Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva are poised to make returns. John Stones is out for weeks with a thigh injury, and City are still without Manuel Akanji, Oscar Bobb, and Rodri.

Man City predicted lineup vs Plymouth

Man City predicted lineup vs Plymouth (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Lewis, Reis, Ake, O'Reilly; Gundogan, Bernardo; Foden, De Bruyne, Grealish; Marmoush.

Plymouth team news

Ryan Hardie won't play this weekend / Isabelle Field/GettyImages

Ryan Hardie was the match-winner from the spot against Liverpool, but he's set to miss Saturday's cup tie due to a back injury.

Muhamed Tijani is a fresh addition to the treatment room after he recently picked up a hamstring injury which will keep him out for a couple of weeks. Brendan Galloway and Joe Edwards are also out.

Michael Obafemi could lead Plymouth's line in the absence of Hardie and Tijani, but Mustapha Bundu is another option.

Plymouth predicted lineup vs Man City (3-4-2-1): Hazard; Talovierov, Katic, Pleguezuelo; Sorinola, Randell, Gyabi, Puchacz; Wright, Al Hajj; Bundu.

Guardiola won't be rotating to the extent Arne Slot did in the fourth round, and we should once again see plenty of City's January additions on display this weekend, including Vitor Reis.

Plymouth had their moment in the fourth round, an occasion which will forever be cherished, but a trip to the Etihad should be a step too far. While good teams have had lots of success against City this season, even at home, the visitors likely don't have enough to stun the Cityzens in Manchester this weekend.