Pep Guardiola has criticised Manchester City’s performance after their 2–0 victory over Salford City in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, describing the game as “boring” despite qualification to the next stage.

City faced the League Two side at the Etihad Stadium and took an early lead when Alfie Dorrington, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, inadvertently scored an own goal in the sixth minute. Defender Marc Guéhi later doubled the advantage in the 81st minute to secure a comfortable result.

Despite dominating possession with around 80 percent and registering 12 shots — three on target — Guardiola was far from satisfied with his team’s display. Speaking after the match, he suggested his players struggled to identify attacking spaces against Salford’s defensive setup.

“No. We didn’t read the spaces where they were… That’s why the game was boring. The only good thing is that we go through it. That’s all,” he said via GOAL.

The City manager also admitted recent weeks had been challenging due to the demanding schedule but stressed that maintaining performance standards remains part of the team’s responsibility.

Opinion: High Standards Are City’s Greatest Strength — and Pressure

Guardiola’s reaction may seem harsh considering the victory margin, but it reflects the culture he has built at Manchester City. For elite teams, performance matters as much as results. Winning comfortably against lower-league opposition is expected — doing so without fluency raises concerns about rhythm and sharpness.

There is also a deeper context. With the Premier League title race intensifying and fixtures piling up, even small dips in creativity can become significant problems. Guardiola likely understands that facing stronger opponents with the same level of performance could lead to costly results.

However, matches like this also highlight football’s reality: cup games against defensive teams often become tactical battles rather than spectacles. Progression, not entertainment, is usually the priority.

In the long run, City fans will care more about trophies than style points. But Guardiola’s dissatisfaction sends a clear message — complacency is unacceptable, no matter the opponent. And that relentless demand for improvement is precisely what has made his teams so successful over the years.