Explained: Why Marc Guehi was allowed to play for Man City in the FA Cup fourth round despite featuring for Crystal Palace earlier in competition

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said "common sense" was used to allow Marc Guehi to feature during Saturday's 2-0 win over Salford City, despite the former Crystal Palace captain playing earlier in the competition when The Eagles were knocked out by Macclesfield. Guehi is ineligible to play in the Carabao Cup but the FA Cup has different rules on playing for a second club in the same season.

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Pep Guardiola questioned the inconsistency of English cup regulations after Marc Guehi was allowed to play as Manchester City edged past Salford City to reach the Emirates FA Cup fifth round.

Seven-time winners City delivered an unconvincing display, advancing courtesy of an early own goal from Alfie Dorrington and a late effort from Guehi, who was a second-half substitute.

The Premier League side struggled to break down their resilient League Two opponents and were ultimately reliant on their bench to secure progression, with England international Guehi becoming the 27th player to represent more than one club in the competition this season following a rule change.

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January arrivals Antoine Semenyo and Guehi both made telling contributions, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club to seal victory. It is now 17 FA Cup wins in a row at Etihad Stadium for City since a 2-0 defeat by Middlesbrough back in 2015.

Yet Guehi’s involvement reignited debate over competition rules.

He was ineligible for City's Carabao Cup semi-final win over Newcastle - and remains ineligible for next month's final against Arsenal - but was permitted to feature in the FA Cup, despite having represented Crystal Palace earlier in this season's competition during their shock elimination by Macclesfield in the third round.

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Guardiola welcomed the progression but criticised what he sees as a lack of "common sense" in the differing frameworks.

"For example, he cannot play in the final of the Carabao Cup," Guardiola told BBC Sport. "Why can he play here and why not in the other one? Common sense [it] is not but it's OK.

"They defended really well, so tight and we didn't attack the spaces the way we should. The game was flat until they scored the second goal. Until 2-0, the game was not good.

"You can go 1-0 and play magnificently. Sometimes you can win 3-0 and the game is not good. It's better for that [Marc Guehi goal]. It has been a really tough three weeks with a lot of games, and it's demanding. Today was the last game and now we have a mini-break."

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Why Guehi can't play in Carabao Cup

Under EFL Cup regulations, a player who transfers after the semi-final first leg cannot represent his new club in the remainder of that competition.

The FA Cup, by contrast, amended its rules this season to allow players to appear for more than one club in the same campaign.

Under the previous rules, Guehi would have been cup-tied but, under regulation 95, the Football Association now allows "a player [to] play for a maximum of one other club in the competition proper," while still prohibiting appearances for two different teams in the same round.

Guardiola has already indicated the club will seek clarification from the EFL over Guehi’s eligibility for the Carabao Cup showpiece, though Sky Sports have reported the governing body is not prepared to amend its rules.

Marc Guehi scored his first goal for Manchester City against Salford

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Speaking after City’s semi-final victory over Newcastle, Guardiola told Sky Sports: "Hopefully in March, we can arrive with the players fit and, hopefully, you can convince the Carabao Cup that Marc Guehi can play in the final because it's difficult to understand that the club who make a big investment to pay one player who belongs to us and I don't understand why he cannot play the final.

"So hopefully, we will write a letter and hopefully the Carabao Cup can understand. He's not able to play for a rule that I don't understand why. Hopefully, they can change it."

In his post-match press conference, he added: "Why should he not play? Why not? He’s our player, we pay his salary, we hired him…

"We want to ask. I said to the club, 'we have to ask, definitely'. I don’t understand the reason why he cannot play in the final of the Carabao Cup in March when he has been here a long time.

"Of course we are going to ask because it’s pure logic. (But) to change the rule, no way. But we will try."

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