Analysis of City's win at Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town 0 - 2 Manchester City

Huddersfield pushed the eight-time winners hard but the quality of Phil Foden was the difference as he scored one and created another to send his side into the fourth round.

Author | Macca 

Stadium | Accu Stadium

Players applaud the fans at full-time

Some deeper analysis of City's performance

There was a period when Manchester City were dominant in this competition, lifting the trophy four times consecutively and winning an extraordinary 21 matches in a row between 2017 and 2021.

Recent seasons, however, have been less forgiving, with City eliminated in the third and fourth rounds.

On Wednesday evening, City faced a few nervous moments, including Town hitting the post, but they remained largely in control and goals in each half secured their progression.

Guardiola's approach at Arsenal on Sunday drew criticism as City registered their lowest average possession under his management, yet they returned to familiar territory in West Yorkshire, dominating 76% of the ball and registering 68 touches inside the opposition area.

The view from the away end during the match

Despite the statistics, City scored only twice. Savinho initially dragged wide before opening the scoring, Nico O'Reilly’s chipped effort was tipped away by Lee Nicholls, and Mukasa’s spinning strike went straight at the goalkeeper.

Central to City’s victory was Phil Foden, who appears to be recapturing the form that won him the Premier League Player of the Season and the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2024.

His goal demonstrated his trademark sharpness, controlling Mukasa’s pass before finishing with precision beyond Nicholls.

Foden was substituted immediately after setting up the second goal as Guardiola handed debuts to Reigan and Jaden Heskey, the sons of former Liverpool and England striker Emile.

Have fans witnessed the stars of the future?

When the travelling City supporters at Huddersfield sang the names of Yaya and Kolo Touré alongside their usual repertoire for former players, they were unlikely to have expected to see another set of brothers take to the pitch in Yorkshire soon after.

After Guardiola’s side had moved 2-0 ahead against their League One hosts, the manager turned to his bench and called on Reigan and Jaden Heskey, the sons of former England striker Emile.

Following instructions from a bench that included Kolo Touré, now part of City’s backroom staff, and a decade on from Emile Heskey’s last EFL Cup appearance, fans were able to witness his sons making their first-team debuts for the club.