"Both move like tortoises", "Pep is killing me" - Manchester City fans question Guardiola's starting XI vs Tottenham in the FA Cup

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has caused a stir among fans after naming an intriguing side to face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round tonight (January 26).

The Cityzens look to continue their defense of their FA Cup after winning the trophy last season. They face a Spurs side who have earned praise for their attacking style of play under Ange Postecoglou.

Guardiola has made just two changes to the side that secured a 3-2 comeback victory against Newcastle United in the league (January 13).

Ederson drops to the bench with Stefan Ortega handed a start. The German goalkeeper has been Manchester City's cup competition shot-stopper this season.

Meanwhile, Guardiola has named the same back four from that win against Newcastle. Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Josko Gvardiol are in defense.

Kevin De Bruyne starts on the bench again despite returning from a long-term hamstring injury against the Magpies. The Belgian came off the bench and inspired the turnaround at St James' Park.

Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, and Bernardo Silva all continue in midfield for Guardiola's City. The only other change is in attack with Oscar Bobb coming in for Jeremy Doku, sitting alongside Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez up top.

Bobb, 20, became a Manchester City hero in the 3-2 win against Eddie Howe's Magpies. He scored the winner after coming off the bench and he's been rewarded for his match-winning outing with a start tonight.

There was debate about who should start in City's attack this season between Doku and Jack Grealish. But, Bobb has put himself firmly in contention and one fan alluded to this:

"Pep is killing me. We went from who should start Grealish or Doku. To Bobb starting."

Another fan questioned Guardiola's decision to start Dias and Ake. They expressed their concerns with the Manchester City defensive duo's speed:

"Both move like tortoises. We need to invest in fast defenders. We gotta start benching Walker if this is the cb duo."

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Manchester City's XI vs Tottenham:

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Pascal Chimbonda backs Tottenham to beat Manchester City

Spurs have been somewhat of a surprise package this season.

Former Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda reckons the north Londoners will send Manchester City packing from the FA Cup. The Frenchman gave his scoreline prediction to The Spurs Web and backed a 2-1 home victory.

Postecoglou's side will take comfort from their last game against Guardiola's men on home soil. They beat the Cityzens 1-0 in the league back in February last season, with Harry Kane grabbing the winner.

Tottenham will be eager to achieve trophy success under Postecoglou this season. They've impressed under the Australian coach, winning 13 of 23 games across competitions. This comes following Kane's departure to Bayern Munich last summer with many expecting that transfer to be hugely detrimental.