Guardiola Criticises FA Cup Matchball Following Manchester City's Victory Against Plymouth Argyle

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Manchester City secured a 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fifth round, but Pep Guardiola was not pleased with the matchball. Despite City's dominance, firing 20 shots off target, Guardiola criticised the ball's quality compared to those used in the Premier League and Champions League. He expressed frustration over its control issues, suggesting it affected his team's performance.

Guardiola stated, "The ball in the Champions League is exceptional, the ball in the Premier League is exceptional, this one isn't. It's difficult to control." He highlighted that similar issues have occurred in previous FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches. Guardiola attributed some of City's missed opportunities to these challenges.

City initially fell behind to Maksym Talovierov's goal in the 38th minute. However, Nico O'Reilly equalised just before halftime. O'Reilly then scored again as City applied relentless pressure. Kevin De Bruyne sealed the win with a goal in the 90th minute at Etihad Stadium.

Despite Guardiola's concerns, Manchester City has been more accurate in their FA Cup shooting than other competitions this season. They have achieved a 59.18% shooting accuracy (excluding blocks) across three games against lower-league teams. This percentage surpasses their performance in any other tournament they have participated in this term.

The team has also averaged more shots on target per game - 9.7 - than in any other competition this season. Additionally, they have taken an average of 24.3 shots per game overall during their FA Cup campaign.

FA's Response to Ball Criticism

An FA spokesperson confirmed that Mitre's Ultimax Pro ball used in the Emirates FA Cup meets FIFA testing standards. They stated that all professional footballs must comply with FIFA Quality pro accreditation and that this ball satisfies all testing requirements.

Looking ahead, Manchester City will face Bournemouth in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The team aims to continue their strong performance despite Guardiola's concerns about equipment quality affecting play.