Manchester City reeled off a third win on the bounce and it was all the sweeter with their victims ­having such strong Manchester United connections.

Salford City, owned by the Class of 92, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Phil and Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, were always primed to be easy fall-guys and with 65 places between them and England’s champions, Karl Robinson’s men were cuffed aside as if in an exhibition.

Manchester City v Salford City: FA Cup third round – live

The victory was decorated by (the Salford-born) James McAtee’s hat-trick and Jack Grealish’s first goal for more than a year, plus two from Jérémy Doku. His second was a 69th-minute penalty after his shot was handled by Curtis Tilt. McAtee completed his hat-trick with a sharp finish, after receiving Phil Foden’s drilled delivery inside Salford’s area, while his third was a predator’s stab from Grealish’s cross.

Towards the close, delirious ­supporters performed the Poznan in the stands, which is only outed for special moments.

As City’s confidence is still hardly robust they welcomed Doku’s opener inside 10 minutes. Ossama Ashley was Salford’s culprit, a miscontrol allowing Matheus Nunes to pilfer the midfielder near halfway. From here, the Portuguese ran forward, scattering red shirts and his pass left to Grealish was as well timed as the No 10’s own shift of the ball the same way to Doku, whose first-time finish ricocheted off Matty Young’s left post.

Salford were in damage limitation mode. A Doku effort that sailed over, Grealish’s snapshot that claimed a corner, and the subsequent goal-mouth melee that featured Nathan Aké somehow ­missing emphasised this.

Nico O’Reilly (second left) scores his first Manchester City goal to give them a 3-0 half-time lead. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

So, too, did City’s second, the source Divin Mubama on his debut. The 20-year-old August signing from West Ham, operating at No 9, jogged in as Nunes and Savinho fashioned a one-two, the former’s cross from the right giving the Newham-born youngster an easy tap-in.

Having arrived on the back of six consecutive wins and eight from the past nine outings, Robinson must have hoped for better. At a break in play, he and his match-day assistant, Giggs, Salford’s director of football, had a chat with a few players. What could this brains-trust offer: perhaps an imploration not to panic and ­little else?

Like Liverpool in their 4-0 downing of Accrington Stanley earlier on this third round Saturday, City cruised in low gear, purring in and around their visitors, able to step it up at will. And in case of emergency City’s bench, including Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Foden and Josko Gvardiol, could be called on.

There was nearly a surprise when Aké missed a clearance by his goal but Kylian Kouassi scuffed his attempt from close range. Seconds later, Matty Lund was in but instead of shooting he turned and fed Kevin Berkoe and he, too, failed to connect cleanly.

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In the posh seats Butt and Scholes “oohed” but dismay quickly followed. Nico O’Reilly, one of City’s three centre-backs, was initiator and executioner. He fed Doku, carried on moving and received the Belgian’s return inside the area. His coolly rolled finish was, too, a first City strike.

In the second half it soon turned ugly. Four minutes in, a loose Tilt backpass was collected by Mubama, who found Grealish. Ashley chopped him down as he tried to shoot and the referee, Josh Smith, awarded the penalty. Grealish steered this in comfortably for his first goal since 16 December 2023.

What greeted Salford next was the sight of Foden entering the fun for City, Savinho being removed. As he likes to do, Pep Guardiola had a firm word with Grealish regarding some tactical nuance during the substitution.

Guardiola’s current mantra concerns how his unit has “lots of work” remaining to regain their former ascendancy, so to see McAtee hit a pass straight to a Salford man and O’Reilly leap in the air and miss a regulation header must have grated. So, too, Mubama being overpowered by Tyrese Fornah, which allowed a rare Salford foray.

But these were minor quibbles. City’s uber-professional approach was evident in their fifth goal, which came from the lethal right boot of McAtee, whose run into the area impressed too. And that was before City’s grandstand finish.