Man City avoid FA Cup banana skin as late goals see them scrape past League Two Cheltenham

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Three late goals spared Pep Guardiola from arguably the most humiliating result in his managerial career as Manchester City beat Cheltenham Town 3-1 in the FA Cup.

City’s defence was breached for the first time in 509 minutes of football as Alfie May gave the League Two side a shock lead in the second half.

It was shaping up to be another iconic FA Cup moment when May gave Cheltenham the lead

But Foden got the Premier League side level before City scored twice more

The six-time winners of the competition were less than ten minutes away from an embarrassing exit before Phil Foden volleyed in an equaliser.

Gabriel Jesus turned the tie on its head moments later with an emphatic finish before Ferran Torres added another in the final play of the match.

City, who last won the FA Cup in the 2018/19 season, will face Championship side Swansea in the fifth round.

City were made to work very hard for the win by their League Two opponents

The scoreline flattered City, who didn’t have it all their own way in the first half against the resolute Robins.

However, the home side seemed certain to go a goal down when Mendy’s sweet strike was heading for the top corner until man-of-the-match Ben Tozer brilliantly cleared the ball off the line.

Mendy was denied a certain goal by the heroic Ben Tozer

There were a couple of more nervous moments for Cheltenham, with Josh Griffiths saving a scuffed Torres effort, while Foden and Fernandinho fired wide.

Guardiola’s side were unsurprisingly on the front foot after the break and should have taken the lead when Foden released Jesus but the Brazilian’s strike struck the outside of the post.

And just shy of the hour, disaster struck for City as May gave Cheltenham the lead. The striker reacted quickest as he poked a loose ball into the roof of the net following Tozer’s menacing long throw.

May got in just ahead of Steffen to give Cheltenham the lead

This was the first time City conceded a goal since their 3-1 win over Chelsea in the Premier League on January 3

Riyad Mahrez should have equalised when he was put through by Foden but the England international made no mistake when he was given a chance on 81 minutes, caressing Joao Cancelo’s cross from the right beyond Josh Griffiths.

There was only going to be one winner after that and Jesus made it 2-1 three minutes later as he controlled Fernandinho’s clipped pass before slamming the ball home.

Some gloss was added on the scoreline as Torres got on the end of a low cross from the right as City booked their place in the fifth round. But my, they had to work for it.