FA Cup third round: 10 talking points from the weekend's football

"Playing against lower-league opposition as a top-flight side in the FA Cup is like batting on the first morning of a Test match you cannot really win and failure can prompt humiliation and reputational damage. To that end, some members of the Crystal Palace side deservedly beaten by Macclesfield perhaps learned a valuable lesson at Moss Rose. Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton are linked regularly with big moves away from Palace, but part of succeeding at elite clubs the pair are admired by Manchester City and Manchester United respectively is coping with being overwhelming favourites. Oliver Glasner, too, may have designs on bigger things, with United again a possible destination, but to see his side schooled by part-timers was a blow to his burgeoning reputation. Glasner slammed his players after the defeat but the Austrian must take a portion of the blame. They must all do better."

"In only his second senior game for Manchester City since being recalled on Monday from his loan at Watford, Max Alleyne scored the opener and cruised through the trouncing of Exeter until being replaced on 64 minutes. The last week's been kind of crazy, the 20-year-old said. But I really enjoyed every second I've been back. I was at Watford and was recalled, so I was straight in on Wednesday [for the 1-1 draw with Brighton] and then again on Saturday. My family are down south so I haven't seen them much [since]. His 17 games in the first half of the season for the Hornets have aided Alleyne's development. There's such a different style of football that I was asked to play there. It really helped me in duels and just learning little tricks in the game. You don't get many options to do that in the academy, he said."

Macclesfield defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 in the FA Cup at Moss Rose, delivering an embarrassing upset for the top-flight side. The loss highlighted reputational damage for Crystal Palace, manager Oliver Glasner, and players linked with big moves such as Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton. Expectations and favourite status exposed weaknesses in coping with pressure, and Glasner criticised his players while also sharing responsibility. Separately, Manchester City's Max Alleyne scored in a 10-1 win over Exeter after being recalled from a loan at Watford. Alleyne credited 17 loan appearances for aiding his development in duels and game understanding.

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