Pep Guardiola's frustrating Man City decision in FA Cup was proved right

Manchester City tend to swipe even teams at the upper end of the Premier League aside with will. So when they're drawn against lower-level opposition in domestic cup competitions, which happens fairly regularly, they can be foregone conclusions.

It's no surprise that these games can get dull, even if a parade of goals is scored. And in circumstances in which strikes don't flow so freely, the matches can become like an attacking vs defence training drill in which City keep the ball for ages as they probe and pry for an opening.

Not that any Blues fans would complain about victories or seeing lots of goals but the really exciting aspect of these sorts of match-ups is the chance to see the next generation in action. For City's wealth of young talent to be given a chance to shine alongside the pros.

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It's in the cups that Phil Foden first got his real taste of senior action and now there are plenty of others in the academy who are looking to follow in his footsteps.

Cole Palmer, James McAtee and Liam Delap are the standouts who are becoming more regular fixtures within the first team and could be permanent members come next season. But elsewhere in the current campaign, Romeo Lavia, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, CJ Egan-Riley, Finley Burns, Luke Mbete, Kayky, Ben Knight, Oscar Bobb and Sam Edozie have all had a taste of the big time this season.

City have a thrilling crop of youngsters pushing through so when they were drawn against a third lower level side in succession in the FA Cup this season in the lowly Peterborough United, there was excitement about some of them getting a chance. That wasn't to be the case.

It shouldn't