Man City 'written to' as six-figure request made to Pep Guardiola's side

Manchester City are set to face Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup this weekend, and the League One outfit have made a special request to their Premier League rivals of Saturday afternoon

Exeter City have requested that Manchester City share a portion of their proceeds from this weekend's FA Cup clash, to help aid financial problems. The Cityzens are set to play the Grecians in the third-round of the domestic competition on Saturday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

While both sides are set to take 45 per cent of the gate for the fixture, which is estimated to land anywhere between £250,000 and £400,000, Exeter are said to have asked for an olive branch from their Premier League rivals on the day.

As per City AM, the supporters' trust which own the League One club said: "In recognition of the financial realities of our supporter-ownership model, the club has written to Manchester City to ask whether they would consider voluntarily transferring a portion of their share of the matchday gate receipts to Exeter City."

It comes as Exeter suffered further financial woes in November, when a fire at St James Park is thought to have caused damages to the tune of £100,000. Firefighters were called to the ground after smoke was seen rising from a portacabin on the Well Street end of the ground.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said in the aftermath that the fire started in an electrical unit before it spread to a temporary building housing the club's medical and control rooms. A statement from the club at the time read: "Following investigations by the fire service, it has been confirmed that the fire at St James Park last night was accidental.

"While the exact cause remains unknown, the incident originated in an area used for waste storage. The fire service has ruled out an electrical fault as a cause.

"We are extremely grateful for the many messages of support and offers of assistance from local businesses and the wider community. Cleanup work is already underway, and we would like to thank everyone involved for their swift response and support."

It comes as Pep Guardiola will hope to clinch his third FA Cup with City come season's end, having won guided the Sky Blues to the prestigious title in 2018/19 as well as in 2022/23.

The Spanish tactician had the chance to make swoop the competition last season, only to be beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace in May's final at Wembley - Eberechi Eze scoring the decisive goal.

Gary Caldwell, however, will aim to put a pin in Guardiola's plans on Saturday afternoon, despite his side being major underdogs headed into the fixture.

At the time of writing, Exeter sit 14th in the League One standings, with nine wins, three draws and 12 losses to show for their efforts.

City, meanwhile, sit second in the Premier League at present, just five points shy of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. However, their aspirations of amping up the pressure on the Gunners in the race for the title will be put on pause for the next two matches, with City travelling to Tyneside to face Newcastle United on Tuesday in the semi-finals of the League Cup.

The club will then make the short trip to Old Trafford on Saturday, January 17 to take on bitter rivals Manchester United when Premier League action resumes, in a game which prove pivotal in either side's success this season.