City fail to break down the Terriers
MANCHESTER CITY just about kept face for the Premier League as they salvaged a goalless draw from a hard-fought tie against Huddersfield Town.
They may be second in the top flight, but they couldn’t find a way past the Championship high-flyers, although they will at least have another chance to keep their cup run going.
This was a new experience for Pep Guardiola as he came up against a lower league team for the first time in England.
In front of a stadium record crowd for football, City could not properly settle at any point and now Guardiola will have to gear up for another uniquely English experience with a replay on February 28.
Football these days is all about priorities. It’s a word that managers love and fans hate.
With City facing Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Guardiola opted to make eight changes to his side from the one that won at Bournemouth on Monday.
Sergio Aguero was up front but Vincent Kompany was ruled out through injury and Yaya Toure and David Silva were rested completely.
The Terriers are chasing promotion from the Championship and play fellow play-off contenders Reading on the same night City are in European action, which also prompted manager David Wagner into making seven changes.
The German’s side had won six on the bounce and are known for a highenergy style similar to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and it was they who started on the front foot as Rajiv Van la Parra tested Claudio Bravo early on.
The Chilean was up to the task, but not too convincingly. Yet it was still his first save of any note since January 2, having let in each of the last six efforts that had been on target against him.
At the other end, the visitors were denied twice in one attack as goalkeeper Joel Coleman saved well from Nolito and then Jesus Navas’ follow-up was blocked on the line by Jon Gorenc Stankovic.
Bravo then launched a counter attack with an excellent clearance from the