MANCHESTER, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Manchester City avoided a potential FA Cup banana skin with a 8-0 home thrashing of fourth-tier Salford City on Saturday -- a club with strong connections to local rivals Manchester United ( MANU ).

A much-changed City side were totally dominant with Divin Mubama marking his senior debut with a goal and James McAtee bagging a second-half hat-trick.

Mubama doubled City's lead with a tap in after Jeremy Doku had given the hosts the lead in the eighth minute and the hosts were out of sight when Nico O'Reilly scored before halftime.

Jack Grealish got in on the act when he earned and then converted a penalty in the 49th minute before McAtee scored three times inside 20 minutes and Doku slotted home a penalty.