Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle Predictions

Manchester City vs Plymouth predictions for this FA Cup tie. Manchester City host Championship side Plymouth Argyle at the Etihad on Saturday evening, battling for a spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.

FA Cup | Mar 1, 2025 at 5:45pm UK at Etihad Stadium

Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle Predictions

Will Manchester City Overcome Plymouth’s Giant-Killing Momentum?

• Plymouth’s away woes – The Pilgrims have picked up just one win in their last 19 competitive away fixtures, scoring a meagre seven goals during that run.
• City’s FA Cup dominance – Guardiola’s side have won their last 18 FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition, with a staggering aggregate score of 69-9.
• Slow starts from City in the cup – In their last FA Cup game against League One’s Leyton Orient, City had to come from behind, highlighting their tendency to take time to break down defensive sides.

Best Bet for Manchester City vs Plymouth Argyle

Manchester City are set to welcome Championship side Plymouth Argyle to the Etihad Stadium for an FA Cup fifth-round clash on Saturday evening. With a spot in the quarter-finals on the line, the visitors will be hoping to produce yet another upset after already knocking out two Premier League sides in the competition. However, they now face arguably the toughest challenge in English football: overcoming Pep Guardiola’s men on their own turf.

City come into this match following a narrow but crucial 1-0 Premier League victory over Tottenham, a result that helped them regain some stability after back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool. With their league title hopes all but gone, the FA Cup remains one of their few remaining chances to lift silverware this season. While Guardiola will likely rotate his squad, the depth and quality of City’s reserves make them overwhelming favourites against a Plymouth side fighting for survival in the Championship.

The Pilgrims, under Miron Muslic, have already stunned Brentford and Liverpool to reach this stage. Their 1-0 win over the Reds in the previous round was a remarkable achievement, but facing City away from home presents a completely different level of difficulty. Plymouth’s away form has been dismal, with just one victory in their last 19 matches on the road. Against a side that has made light work of lower-league opposition in recent years, they will need a miracle to progress.

Best Bet for Manchester City vs Plymouth

At BettingTips4You, we don’t believe in throwing out multiple predictions for the sake of it. Instead, we carefully analyse every fixture and provide a single, high-quality tip that gives readers the best possible chance of success. For this FA Cup clash, our standout selection is Draw/Man City in the Half Time/Full Time market.

There is good reason to believe that Plymouth could frustrate City in the early stages before ultimately succumbing to the sheer quality of the hosts. Guardiola’s men have often taken time to break down defensive-minded sides, particularly in cup competitions where lower-league opponents come to the Etihad with a compact shape and a deep defensive block. Plymouth will almost certainly take a cautious approach, much like they did against Liverpool, where they sat deep and relied on counter-attacks to nick a goal.

City, even when dominant, have had a habit of being patient rather than rushing to score early. Against League One side Leyton Orient in the previous round, they fell behind before eventually turning things around. The same could happen here if Plymouth defend resolutely. Even in games where City have won convincingly, they have often left it until the second half to truly exert their dominance. Given Guardiola’s likely squad rotation, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a slightly disjointed start before their superior quality eventually overwhelms the Championship side.

Plymouth’s goal-scoring issues on the road are another key factor. They have managed just seven goals in 19 away games this season, a worrying statistic when facing one of the best defensive teams in England. However, their well-organised defensive shape could help them keep things tight initially. City, on the other hand, have been professional in how they dispatch lower-league sides in the FA Cup, with their last 18 matches against such opponents ending in victory, by an aggregate score of 69-9. That kind of record suggests Plymouth’s resistance will eventually be broken.

BettingTips4You.com expert Tyler Morris says:
*”Plymouth will come to the Etihad determined to frustrate City, and they might succeed for a while. But ultimately, class will tell, and City should take control in the second half. Expect the hosts to finish strong.”_

Considering the way this match is likely to unfold, a 2-0 victory for Manchester City seems like a reasonable expectation. Plymouth’s struggles in attack mean it’s difficult to see them scoring, while City—although likely rotating their squad—should have enough firepower to break through in the latter stages.

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