Bristol City vs Manchester City Preview – Prediction, how to watch & potential line-ups

A place in the FA Cup quarter-finals is up for grabs as Bristol City and Manchester City go head-to-head at Ashton Gate in Tuesday’s fifth-round tie.

Nigel Pearson’s side eked out a narrow 1-0 home win over Hull City at the weekend, extending their unbeaten run in the Championship to nine matches (W4, D5).

But even though their impressive spell of form spans back to Boxing Day, the Robins still have a substantial nine-point ground to make up on sixth-placed Luton Town if they’re to reach the play-offs in May. 

Things have gone much smoother in the FA Cup, as after beating fellow second-tier rivals Swansea City in the second-leg replay on the road, they battered West Bromwich Albion 3-0 in the last round.

All competitions included, the hosts are unbeaten in their last 12 outings (W6, D6), giving the impression Ashton Gate could form the backdrop for an upset this midweek. 

Unfortunately for the Robins, their esteemed visitors rediscovered their winning touch in the build-up, steamrolling to an overwhelming 4-1 win at Bournemouth at the weekend.

A thumping win at the Vitality Stadium helped Man City overcome a brace of 1-1 draws against Nottingham Forest and RB Leipzig in the Premier League and Champions League, respectively.

More importantly, Pep Guardiola’s side stayed in touch with pacesetters Arsenal, with only two points separating the teams going into the crunch period of the season.

Match Preview

Bristol City

Ashton Gate has been a fortress of late as the Robins have gone undefeated in their last seven home games (W4, D3), with three of those four wins coming ‘to nil.’

Moreover, only one of their last five home matches in the FA Cup has seen them on the receiving end (W2, D2), while they’re also no strangers to punching above their weight.

They toppled Man City’s cross-city rivals Manchester United 2-1 in the Carabao Cup almost six years ago, yet everyone associated with the club has yet to forget that achievement. 

Manchester City

After ousting fierce top-flight rivals Arsenal and Chelsea in the opening two FA Cup outings without conceding, Man City might consider this a walk in the park. 

The Cityzens have run riot against lower-league sides in the FA Cup since a 1-0 loss to Wigan Athletic in February 2018, winning 12 consecutive such match-ups in the aftermath. 

If that’s not enough to keep the spirits high in the Man City camp, they’ve won their last ten away matches in the FA Cup, accounting for the longest winning streak in the competition’s history.

Bristol City vs Manchester City Potential Line-ups

Bristol City (4-2-3-1): Max O’Leary; George Tanner, Zak Vyner, Tomas Kalas, Cameron Pring; Matty James, Joe Williams; Mark Sykes, Alex Scott, Sam Bell; Nahki Wells. 

Manchester City (4-3-3): Stefan Ortega; Rico Lewis, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Sergio Gomez; Bernardo Silva, Kalvin Phillips, Ilkay Gundogan; Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez, Phil Foden. 

How to Watch?

Bristol City vs Man City, alongside all other FA Cup fixtures, is available to watch online via the best live football streams.

Bristol City vs Manchester City Prediction 

The Robins will need a miracle to defy their ‘FA Cup fifth-round hoodoo’ that has seen them exit the competition at this stage 13 times in their previous 14 attempts to reach the quarter-finals. 

Although Guardiola will likely field a second-string line-up, we back Man City to reach the final eight for the fifth time in six years without breaking a sweat.

Bristol City 0-2 Manchester City