These two clubs have not met for 36 years, with Manchester City winning each of their last five meetings with Plymouth. The Pilgrims have not won away at Man City in ten attempts, dating back to 1939.
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle Preview
Manchester City have only ended two of the previous 14 seasons trophyless, and their only hope of silverware this time round, the Community Shield captured in August notwithstanding, is the FA Cup. So far, the Sky Blues have smashed Salford 8-0, the club's most-emphatic victory in this competition of all-time, before finding Leyton Orient a much tougher nut to crack, battling to a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Brisbane Road.
Pep Guardiola's side have reached, at least, the semi-finals of the FA Cup in each of the last six seasons, no club has ever previously achieved this, and with many of the other traditional heavyweights having been eliminated, they surely have to fancy their chances of another Wembley appearance or two. On Wednesday night, the Citizens enhanced their chances of Champions League qualification, thanks to a 1-0 win at Tottenham, with Erling Braut Håland the scorer. So now, will Man City cruise through to the FA Cup quarter-finals?
Plymouth Argyle meantime are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition but, given that they've already dumped out two Premier League outfits, a whopping 7,800 members of the Green Army will make the 289 mile journey north dreaming of an upset for the ages. In round three, the Pilgrims claimed their very first away win of the entire season, with the now departed Morgan Whittaker the match-winner at Brentford.
Then, in round four, Plymouth pulled off an almighty upset, dumping out Premier League champions-elect Liverpool, with Ryan Hardie's cooly converted penalty securing a modern-day shock, sparking wild scenes of celebration all across Devon. So now, the Greens are now seeking to get through to the last eight for the first time in 18 years.
Meantime, in the EFL Championship, Miron Muslić's side do remain in the relegation zone, but are now just three points from safety, having seemingly been cut-adrift when Wayne Rooney was sacked on New Year's Eve. Muhamed Tijani's equaliser helped them hold fellow-strugglers Cardiff to a 1-1 draw last weekend, they travel to fourth-bottom Hull on Tuesday in a massive game, but they face a fairly daunting challenge here first. So, will Plymouth knock out Man City, or will the Championship strugglers ultimately be swatted aside at the Etihad?
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle Head-to-Head Record
- Matches Played: 20.
- Manchester City Wins: 11. Draws: 4. Plymouth Argyle Wins: 5.
Manchester City Team News
Following their Champions League elimination, Man City do not have a game next mid-week, so it'll be interesting to see how much Pep Guardiola rotates his squad, if at all. To the surprise of many, after sitting out the defeat to Real Madrid and Liverpool due to a knee injury, Erling Braut Håland started and scored at Spurs, but is a likely candidate to be rested this time.
John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Rodri remain sidelined, but Oscar Bobb could feature for the first time since the Community Shield, following a broken leg. Lastly, Vitor Reis and Claudio Echeverri are both hoping to debut, the latter having only arrived in Manchester this week.
Manchester City predicted lineup vs Plymouth Argyle: (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Lewis, Khusanov, Reis, Aké; Gündoğan, De Bruyne, Savinho, McAtee, Grealish; Marmoush.
Manchester City Player to Watch vs Plymouth Argyle
James McAtee bagged a hat-trick against Salford in round three, meaning he's scored six times this season, averaging a goal every 108 minutes, so will the 22-year-old get another chance to shine?
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle Prediction
Despite Plymouth's recent giant-killing credentials, we cannot see beyond a very routine Manchester City victory, with the tie likely to be in doubt at no point: Manchester City 4-0 Plymouth Argyle.
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle FAQs - FA Cup
How to watch Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle FA Cup game on TV channel?
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle FA Cup game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: ITV4
- USA: ESPN+
- Canada: Sportsnet World Now
How to watch Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle FA Cup game on live streaming?
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle FA Cup game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: ITVX
- USA: ESPN+
- Canada: Sportsnet World Now
What is the date and kick-off time for Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup?
Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle takes place on Saturday 1 March 2025, with kick off at 17:45 (GMT), 12:45 (EDT) & 9:45 (PST).