Pep Guardiola makes six changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Brighton in the Premier League on Wednesday for today’s game at the Etihad.
Semenyo completed his move from Bournemouth on Friday and goes straight into the starting line-up for today’s clash.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old McAidoo earned his City senior debut after starring in the Premier League 2, FA Youth Cup, UEFA Youth League, Premier League International Cup and EFL Trophy in 2025/26.
James Trafford, Rico Lewis, Rodri and Rayan Cherki also come into the starting XI.
Teams
City XI: Trafford, Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, Ake, Rodri (C), Reijnders, McAidoo, Cherki, Semenyo, Haaland.
Subs: Donnarumma, Doku, Nico, Bernardo, Nunes, O’Reilly, Foden, Mukasa, Mfuni
Exeter XI: Whitworth, Turns, Fitzwater, Brierley, Wareham, Aitchison, Cole, Niskanen, Woodhouse, Doyle-Hayes, Oakes.
Subs: Bycroft, McMillan, Mendes Gomes, Francis, Higgins, Cox, Magennis, Dean, Birch.
Formation and tactics
It’s largely the same defensive set-up that featured against Brighton with Lewis likely to come in on the right side of defence for Matheus Nunes.
Midfield changes are more substantial with Rodri back at the heart alongside Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders.
Erling Haaland will again lead the line with Semenyo likely to start on the left and McAidoo on the opposite flank.
Go, go Semenyo
New signing Antoine Semenyo goes straight into the starting line-up after completing his move from Bournemouth on Friday.
The winger signed a five-and-a-half-year deal at the Etihad Stadium after a stunning first half of the 2025/26 campaign with Bournemouth, scoring 10 Premier League goals.
Our new No. 42 spoke to mancity.com after completing his move and is excited to get out on to the pitch and help us challenge for silverware.
“You want to be winning those trophies, you want to be playing with the best players in the world, so you just want to be involved,” he said.
RISING STAR
Teenage forward is the latest exciting talent to emerge from our Academy and be given his opportunity.
He joined City’s Academy in the summer of 2024 and in his first full season, scored 10 goals in 19 appearances as City won the Under-18 Premier League North title.
A quick, technical winger, he also impressed on the European stage with six goal involvements in nine UEFA Youth League appearances.
This season, the England youth international has featured at the Under-17 World Cup and has also moved up to Premier League 2 football.
Sweet FA Cup
Guardiola’s side may aim to challenge for silverware in every competition we enter, but that doesn’t mean City fans don’t hold this competition dear, with seven triumphs in our history.
We’ve reached the final in our last three seasons, last winning it in 2023 with a win over Manchester United at Wembley which was an unforgettable piece of our treble.
The world’s oldest football competition remains as bedazzling as ever and third round day is always a highlight so Exeter fans will make the long journey up from Devon hoping they can create their own magical piece of history.
City fans will remember some painful ties from yesteryear and know it’s a day not to take any opposition lightly.
Match stats
Today will be the first ever meeting between City and Exeter.
The Grecians have been eliminated in their last 10 FA Cup ties against top-flight sides since knocking out Leicester City in the fourth round in 1980/81.
Since losing 2-0 to Middlesbrough in January 2015, City have won all 15 of their home matches in the FA Cup, scoring 65 goals. The last side to have a longer home winning run were Liverpool between 1939 and 1955 (16 in a row), which is a record for a league club in the FA Cup. The all-time record is 17 in a row by Clapham Rovers between 1873 and 1881 before the Football League was formed.
Exeter won 3-1 against Oxford United in the FA Cup third round last season – they Grecians haven’t reached the fourth round in consecutive seasons since 1949/50 and 1950/51.
In domestic cup competitions, Phil Foden has been involved in 26 goals in 20 starts against sides from lower divisions (14 goals, 12 assists), winning all 20 of those games.
