Manchester City’s FA Cup clash with Salford City impacted by major referee rule change for 2024/25 season

After crashing out of the Carabao Cup at the fourth round stage earlier in the season, Pep Guardiola and his team will welcome domestic cup events back to their schedule in the new year.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the opening game of their 11-game run across competitions, which has caused the team a great deal of suffering on the field.

The defending Premier League winners have dropped to fifth place in the English top flight and 22nd in the UEFA winners League standings after winning just one game during that 11-match run across all competitions.

As a result, the FA Cup’s return might provide the team with a much-needed mental reset and an opportunity to concentrate on a fresh goal. League Two team Salford City will visit the Etihad Stadium in the competition’s third round.

But the new edition of the FA Cup for Manchester City will also be joined by some changes confirmed by decision makers around the competition when it comes to how matches are officiated in the opening rounds involving Premier League sides.

As confirmed by the Football Association this week, Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will only be used in the 2024/25 FA Cup from the fifth round onwards, and as such will not be in operation for the third and fourth rounds starting in January.

Due to the infrastructure, personnel, and operating expenditures needed, VAR was previously exclusively used in FA Cup games played at Wembley Stadium and Premier League venues.

But this week, the FA declared that their choice guarantees that all teams competing in the same level of the competition will use the same refereeing methodology.

January will also bring two mammoth clashes for Manchester City in European competition, with points desperately needed from an away trip against Paris Saint-Germain and a home meeting with Club Brugge in order to secure a last-16 play-off place.

Those cup duties are accompanied by the relentless Premier League fixture list, with Manchester City’s December run of matches rounding off with away matches against Aston Villa and Leicester City as well as an Etihad Stadium bout with Everton on Boxing Day.