Everything you need to know about Manchester City’s FA Cup third round tie against Birmingham City.

Teams

Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker return from their three-game absence due to COVID-19 isolation as Pep Guardiola makes five changes to the team that started in the midweek win over Manchester United.

Benjamin Mendy, Rodrigo and Bernardo also come into the side, replacing John Stones, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling, who is not fully fit.

Ederson is among the substitutes after completing his period of COVID-19 self-isolation and whilst Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle have done the same, they remain short of full fitness.

Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte are out injured and Sergio Aguero is unavailable.

CITY: Steffen, Cancelo, Walker, Dias, Mendy, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Foden, Mahrez, Jesus.

SUBS: Ederson, Stones, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Delap, Nmecha, Harwood-Bellis, Mbete.

BIRMINGHAM: Prieto, Colin, Clarke-Salter, San Jose, Friend (C), Sunjic, Kieftenbeld, Sanchez, Toral, Leko, Hogan.

SUBS: Etheridge, Perdersen, Dean, Dacres-Gogley, Roberts, Clayton, McGree, Bela, Jutkiewicz.

TACTICAL ANALYSIS

City under Guardiola have rarely deviated from 4-3-3.

But in recent weeks, with so many players unavailable for a variety of reasons, we’ve seen increasing fluidity in our system. Players have interchanged positions more frequently, with the lack of recognised central striker calling for new solutions. 

It’s worked superbly. Our form is excellent - we’ve won our last five - but more encouragingly the quality of performances has increased significantly.

Despite the challenges we’ve faced with players being out of action, our victories at Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were delivered in style.

Guardiola will not want to see our momentum subside.

Jesus’ return means we have a focal point once more, and in defence it looks as though Walker will start at centre-back alongside Dias, with Cancelo and Mendy offering width down the flanks. 

WHEN AND WHERE

City will welcome the Championship side to the Etihad on Sunday, 10 January, with the kick-off set for 13:30pm (UK).

In the UK, the game will be shown live on the BBC Sport website, whilst fans living abroad should check out our global TV listings at the foot of this page to find out how they can tune in wherever they are in the world.

If you’re unable to watch the game, you can get minute by minute coverage in our Matchday Centre here on mancity.com and we’ll also have live updates on Twitter: @ManCity.

A full-match replay will be available to watch on CITY+ from midnight after the game.

WE’RE NOT REALLY HERE

Andy Morrison and Richard Dunne are the special guests on our live matchday show for this game.

They’ll be joined in the studio at the Etihad Stadium by presenter Natalie Paweleck and will be providing their expert analysis before kick-off, at half-time and after the full-time whistle.

We’re Not Really Here provides a City-centric view to your match coverage and is available to watch in the Matchday Centre on mancity.com and all our other digital platforms. 

Last result

All fixtures

FA Cup

Newcastle
0
Man City
2

PEP PREVIEW

“It will be great to have Sergio back and in good condition.

“He is optimistic - he says he wants to come back and score goals, we don’t put pressure. Most of the games we need him because he is a striker.

“It’s better to have everyone but when we don’t, you have to adapt.

“This situation we had to adapt and adjust, that’s what you have to do.”

FORM GUIDE

City have already secured one trip to Wembley this term, having secured a fourth successive Carabao Cup final appearance following Wednesday’s superb 2-0 semi-final win at Manchester United.

Pep Guardiola’s side will launch our FA Cup campaign on the back of an impressive 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Aitor Karanka’s Birmingham have endured a frustrating first half to the campaign and currently lie in 18th place in the Championship.

Birmingham have lost five of their last six games, the sole exception being a goalless draw away to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.

LAST MEETING

The two sides last met in a League Cup tie at the Etihad back in September 2011.

First half goals from Owen Hargreaves and Mario Balotelli helped secure a 2-0 victory for City.


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MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Robert Jones
Assistant Referees: Edward Smart & Scott Ledger
Fourth Official: Martin Atkinson
VAR: Graham Scott
AVAR: Matthew Wilkes

TV LISTINGS

The game will be available to watch live on the BBC Sport website, which is streaming eight third round fixtures across the weekend.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAN CITY PODCAST

You can also keep up to date with all the action via our Matchday Centre here on mancity.com, or on Twitter: @ManCity.

As always, our We’re Not Really Here show will be providing a City-centric view to your pre-match build-up, half-time analysis and post-match reaction. That’s available to watch on all our digital platforms and the pre-match show begins one hour before kick-off.

A full-match replay will be available to watch on CITY+ within 24-hours of the final whistle.

Fans living abroad can find out which broadcasters are showing the game in their country in the global TV listings below.

Albania SuperSport 3 Digitalb
Algeria beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Andorra beIN Sports 1
Angola SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROADStv Now
Anguilla ESPNPlay Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda ESPNPlay Caribbean
Argentina ESPN2 SurESPN Play Sur
Aruba ESPNPlay Caribbean
Australia WatchESPN Australia
Austria DAZN
Bahrain beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Bangladesh Sony LIVSONY TEN 2 HDSONY TEN 2
Barbados ESPNPlay Caribbean
Belgium Eleven Sports 1 Belgium
Belize ESPN Play NorteESPN2 NorteESPNPlay Caribbean
Benin SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Bhutan Sony LIVSONY TEN 2 HD
Bolivia ESPN2 SurESPN Play Sur
Botswana DStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport Maximo
Brazil DAZN
British Virgin Islands ESPNPlay Caribbean
Brunei beIN Sports 2 ThailandAstro GobeIN Sports Connect
Bulgaria Diema SportPlay Diema Xtra
Burkina Faso SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Burundi Startimes World FootballSuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROADStv Now
Cambodia beIN Sports ConnectbeIN Sports 2 Thailand
Cameroon DStv NowStarTimes AppSuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Canada Sportsnet World NowSportsnet NowSportsnet World
Cape Verde SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Cayman Islands ESPNPlay Caribbean
Central African Republic SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Chad DStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROAbeIN Sports HD 2SuperSport MaximobeIN SPORTS CONNECT
Chile ESPN Play SurESPN2 Sur
China PPTV Sport China
Colombia ESPN2 ColombiaESPN Play Sur
Comoros SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Congo DStv NowStartimes World FootballSuperSport Premier League ROAStarTimes App
Congo DR StarTimes App
Costa Rica ESPN2 NorteESPN Play Norte
Cote D’Ivoire SuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport MaximoDStv Now
Cuba ESPNPlay Caribbean
Denmark Viaplay DenmarkTV3 Sport
Djibouti SuperSport MaximobeIN Sports HD 2DStv NowbeIN SPORTS CONNECT
Dominica ESPNPlay Caribbean
Dominican Republic ESPN2 NorteESPNPlay CaribbeanESPN Play Norte
Ecuador ESPN Play Sur
Egypt beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
El Salvador ESPN Play NorteESPN2 Norte
Equatorial Guinea SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Eritrea SuperSport MaximoDStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROA
Ethiopia SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Finland V Sport PremiumViaplay Finland
France beIN SPORTS CONNECTFreebeIN Sports 1
Gabon DStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport Maximo
Gambia SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROADStv Now
Georgia Adjarasport TV
Germany DAZN
Ghana SuperSport MaximoStarTimes AppSuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowStartimes World Football
Greece Cosmote Sport 1 HD
Grenada ESPNPlay Caribbean
Guadeloupe ESPNPlay Caribbean
Guatemala ESPN2 NorteESPN Play Norte
Guinea SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport MaximoStarTimes AppStartimes World Football
Guinea-Bissau DStv NowSuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Haiti ESPNPlay Caribbean
Honduras ESPN2 NorteESPN Play NorteESPNPlay Caribbean
Hong Kong myTV SUPER
Iceland Stöð 2 Sport 2
India SONY TEN 2Sony LIVSONY TEN 2 HD
Indonesia beIN Sports 1 IndonesiabeIN Sports Connect Indonesia
International Bet365
Iran beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Iraq beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Ireland BBC iPlayerBBC Sport Web
Israel Sport 4
Italy DAZN
Jamaica ESPNPlay Caribbean
Japan DAZN
Jordan beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Kazakhstan Setanta Sports Kazakhstan
Kenya SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowStarTimes AppStartimes World Football
Korea Republic SPOTV ON 2
Kuwait beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Laos beIN Sports ConnectbeIN Sports 2 Thailand
Lebanon beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Lesotho DStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Liberia SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Libya beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Luxembourg Eleven Sports 1 Belgium
Macau TDM Desporto
Madagascar SuperSport Premier League ROAStarTimes AppSuperSport MaximoDStv Now
Malawi StarTimes AppSuperSport MaximoDStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROA
Malaysia Astro SuperSport 3Astro Go
Maldives SONY TEN 2Sony LIVSONY TEN 2 HD
Mali SuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport MaximoDStv Now
Malta GO TV AnywhereTSN2 Malta
Martinique ESPNPlay Caribbean
Mauritania beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECTDStv Now
Mauritius SuperSport Premier League ROADStv Now
Mexico ESPN Play NorteESPN2 Norte
Monaco beIN Sports 1
Montserrat ESPNPlay Caribbean
Morocco beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Mozambique StarTimes AppSuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowStartimes World Football
Namibia SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Nepal SONY TEN 2 HDSONY TEN 2Sony LIV
Netherlands Ziggo Sport 14Ziggo Sport Select
New Zealand beIN Sports Connect New Zealand
Nicaragua ESPN2 NorteESPN Play Norte
Niger DStv NowSuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Nigeria SuperSport Premier League NigeriaStarTimes AppSuperSport MaximoDStv NowStartimes World Football
Norway V Sport 1Viaplay Norway
Oman beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Pakistan SONY TEN 2SONY TEN 2 HDSony LIV
Palestinian Territory beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Panama ESPN2 NorteESPN Play Norte
Paraguay ESPN Play SurESPN2 Sur
Peru ESPN2 SurESPN Play Sur
Philippines beIN Sports 1 HDbeIN Sports Connect Philippines
Poland Eleven Sports 2 Poland
Portugal Sport TV LIVESport TV2
Puerto Rico ESPNPlay Caribbean
Qatar beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Romania Eurosport Player Romania
Russia Sportbox.rumatchtv.ruMatch! Arena
Rwanda Startimes World FootballSuperSport MaximoStarTimes AppSuperSport Premier League ROA
Saint Bartelemey ESPNPlay Caribbean
Saint Kitts and Nevis ESPNPlay Caribbean
Saint Lucia ESPNPlay Caribbean
Saint Martin ESPNPlay Caribbean
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ESPNPlay Caribbean
Sao Tome And Principe SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Senegal DStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport Maximo
Seychelles SuperSport MaximoDStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROA
Sierra Leone DStv NowSuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROA
Singapore 111 mio Sports 1
Somalia beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
South Africa StarTimes AppSuperSport MaximoStartimes World FootballDStv AppSuperSport Variety 2
South Sudan beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECTDStv NowSuperSport Premier League ROA
Spain DAZN
Sri Lanka SONY TEN 2Sony LIVSONY TEN 2 HD
Sudan beIN Sports HD 2SuperSport MaximoDStv NowbeIN SPORTS CONNECT
Swaziland SuperSport Premier League ROADStv NowSuperSport Maximo
Sweden V Sport PremiumViaplay Sweden
Switzerland DAZN
Syria beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Tanzania StarTimes AppSuperSport Premier League ROAStartimes World FootballSuperSport MaximoDStv Now
Thailand beIN Sports ConnectbeIN Sports 2 Thailand
Togo SuperSport MaximoSuperSport Premier League ROADStv Now
Trinidad and Tobago ESPNPlay Caribbean
Tunisia beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
Turkey Tivibu Spor 4
U.S. Virgin Islands ESPNPlay Caribbean
Uganda Startimes World FootballDStv NowSuperSport MaximoStarTimes AppSuperSport Premier League ROA
Ukraine Setanta Sports Ukraine
United Arab Emirates beIN Sports HD 2beIN SPORTS CONNECT
United Kingdom BBC iPlayerBBC Sport Web
United States ESPN+
Uruguay ESPN2 SurESPN Play Sur
Venezuela ESPN Play Sur
Vietnam SCTV 17
Yemen beIN SPORTS CONNECTbeIN Sports HD 2
Zambia SuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport MaximoStarTimes App
Zimbabwe SuperSport Premier League ROASuperSport MaximoDStv Now
*Don’t see your country or favourite channel listed? Let us know and we will include it.