Manchester City face recent rivals in fifth-round FA Cup clash

After a triumphant international break, domestic competition resumes as Manchester City travel to Robins High Performance Centre for their FA Cup fifth-round clash with Championship side Bristol City.

Playing at an open, somewhat smaller venue Manager Gareth Taylor said: “We’re at a different venue, playing at their training ground now instead of Ashton Gate will be different in itself but the goals are in the same place.

“But I always say whether we’re playing at Wembley in front of a full crowd or the Etihad or here at the Academy Stadium nothing really changes regarding what happens on the pitch.”

It will be the second time these two sides go head-to-head this season after City destroyed the second-tier side 6-0 in the Continental Cup quarter-finals in late January. Hayley Raso and Lauren Hemp hit the target twice each with league joint-top scorer Khadija Shaw and Mary Fowler also getting themselves on the score sheet.

Taylor confessed with a smile: “The FA Cup is a special competition and these are the games we look forward to, we’ve got to go down and earn the right to be in the next round.”

The Citizens thrashed their fourth-round rivals Sheffield United 7-0, however, the real momentum comes from City’s league win over Arsenal just before the International break. After a narrow 1-0 loss, the Sky Blues recorded a 2-1 win just days later to leapfrog the Women’s Super League giants into third place in the division.

The hosts, however, are also yet to concede in the FA Cup having defeated fellow championship side Southampton 2-0 in the third round proper and delivered a convincing 4-0 win over Oxford United in the fourth round who play a tier below the Robins in the FA Women's National League Premier Division South. By