Man City vs Exeter betting tips and predictions – Haaland likely to start and run riot

Jan 10, 2026 - 07:15

Man City take on Exeter in the FA Cup Third Round on Saturday afternoon with a chance of a Premier League giant being toppled by a League One side early on in the competition.

Man City vs Exeter City best bets

Bet on Foden and Haaland to score and Man City to score over 3.5 goals and win at 4/5 on Sky Bet
Back Haaland to score 2+ goals, City to score over 3.5 goals, Musaka to score at 2/1 on Sky Bet

Man City vs Exeter latest odds

Find the latest Man City vs Exeter betting odds here. Odds are provided by Midnite and are subject to change.

Man City – 1/20
Draw – 11/1
Exeter – 16/1

Man City vs Exeter betting tips, predictions, odds and free bets

Man City vs Exeter predictions

Manchester City have drawn three on the bounce now in the Premier League which has allowed Arsenal to drift a little further away at the top of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s side could make the most of their cup runs giving them more of a chance at a surprise haul of trophies.

Should they not only reach the final in these competitions but also keep up in the Premier League race.

With these kinds of games against lower league opposition there’s never a certainty at who will lineup for the higher team, with the games coming thick and fast in January a total squad change up will be likely.

Exeter are on a good run themselves for a team in 14th in League One and will welcome the opportunity to play at the Etihad to try to get something from this game, in a fixture the first of its kind.

Man City vs Exeter betting tips

Lineup shakeup?

City play Newcastle on Tuesday evening in the semi-final of the EFL Cup so this 3rd round tie will be less on the priority list for some of the bigger stars.

Especially with a Manchester Derby the following Saturday and the following Tuesday, an away tie with Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

With those changes in mind it’s key to look at some of the players that will likely step in for Man City now and how they could impact the game.

City’s squad is littered with injuries to key players already so they could call upon defender Max Alleyne, who started against Brighton and impressed plenty with his performance.

Their midfield isn’t faring much better with injuries to Savinho, Oscar Bobb, Omar Marmoush and Mateo Kovacic.

Midfielders yet to be used in the Premier League so far who could feature are Kalvin Philips and Ryan McAidoo, while Divine Mukasa who featured briefly against West Ham earlier this season could earn some more minutes.

And for out and out strikers, technically it’s just Erling Haaland left in that position so he should be able to start but could potentially get replaced early on to rest ahead of Newcastle.

Similarly, those for Exeter who can potentially change the game.

Potential gamechangers

Jayden Wareham has been Exeter’s top scorer this season and presents a threat up top with the way he plays.

City had Jeremy Doku, Marmoush, Bobb, Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Nico Gonzalez starting against Swansea in the fourth round of the FA Cup in October and with the injuries ruling out two of them it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the others lineup with Haaland here.

Making it a very tough game for Exeter that will likely see a few of them running riot.

Bet on Foden and Haaland to score and Man City to score over 3.5 goals and win at 4/5 on Sky Bet
Back Haaland to score 2+ goals, City to score over 3.5 goals, Musaka to score at 2/1 on Sky Bet

Man City vs Exeter predicted lineups

Man City expected starting XI: Trafford, Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Nunes, Mukasa, Foden, Cherki, Haaland.
Exeter City expected starting XI: Whitworth, Sweeney, Fitzwater, Swinkels, Niskanen, Brierley, Cole, McMillan, Aitchison, Wareham, Magennis.

Where to watch Man City vs Exeter

Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England.
Date & Time: Saturday, 10th January 2026, 3pm.
TV Channel: N/A.

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