Soccer tips: Swindon Town vs Manchester City: Citizens to rock the Robins' nest in FA Cup tie
- Sean Fisher
- 6 January 2022
The side 73rd in the English league pyramid host the Premier League champions on Friday night, but don't expect a giantkilling in Swindon.
The hosts beat Crewe Alexandra and Walsall on their way to the third round, where they face the daunting task of going head to head with the Premier League champions.
It's City's first match in the competition since losing to Chelsea in last year's semi-final, and with a fixture against the same opposition on the horizon this week, Pep Guardiola will rotate his side on Friday night.
When, where and how to follow
When: Friday, January 7, 20.00 GMT
Where: County Ground, Swindon
Best bets for Swindon Town vs Manchester City
Most Premier League vs League Two clashes have a whiff of a giantkilling but there's rarely any danger of a shock when Manchester City are involved.
Since Pep Guardiola took charge, he's instilled a ruthlessness in his squad which has seen them dispatch lesser teams by huge margins.
With Chelsea their next league opponents, we can expect to see Guardiola field some of his younger players to gain invaluable experience.
There's no doubt it'll be one-way traffic on Friday night, and a clinical City can expect to rack up plenty of goals.
Even City's weakened squad is expected to include stars in need of game time such as Jack Grealish, Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan, and that's more than enough quality to blow Swindon away.
With that said, there's good value to be found in the goals market, with over 4.5 total match goals bringing in a healthy 6/4.
It's landed in nine City games already this season, including the only time they've faced lower-league opposition - their 6-1 drubbing of Wycombe.
A dangerous duo means goals for both sides
They head into Friday's clash in great form, with McKirdy having just netted four goals against Northampton Town in a 5-2 win and Simpson scoring the other.
Youthful, tenacious and full of pace, they're a handful for any backline, especially an inexperienced City defence.
Goalscorer bets for Swindon Town vs Manchester City
I expect him to see plenty of action on Friday night, and he'll be wanting to impress against lower opposition. At 8/5, he gets the nod as an anytime goalscorer.
As for Swindon, it's hard to look past Simpson. The 19-year-old Ipswich Town loanee scored on the weekend against Northampton and is valued at 31/10 to score anytime.
Not only has he shone in League Two this season with eight goals, but Simpson has also scored in Swindon's previous two FA Cup matches this season. I'm backing him to make it a treble this Friday.
