Salford City have been drawn away to Carlisle United in the FA Cup first round. The tie will be played at Brunton Park on Saturday 7 November 2026, giving the League Two leaders a chance to progress in the Emirates FA Cup. Salford City sit first in League Two on 25 points after 12 games, having recorded eight wins, one draw and three losses.

Carlisle United secured their place in the first round with a home victory over Tamworth last Saturday. This will be the tenth competitive meeting between the two clubs, with their last league encounter ending in a draw on the final day of the season. Salford last visited Brunton Park in pre-season, winning with a brace from striker Macaulay Langstaff.

League leaders

Salford City enter the cup draw in formidable league form, sitting top of League Two with 25 points from 12 games. They are four points clear of second-placed Barnet and have won four of their last five matches, a run detailed on our standings page. Their recent form reads four wins and a draw from their last five outings, and they are currently on a three-game winning run. Their most recent result was a 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday 20 October, with goals from Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu and Daniel Udoh. This followed a 2-1 victory over Crawley Town on Saturday 17 October, where Macaulay Langstaff scored twice, and a 2-0 win at Cheltenham on Saturday 10 October. The team has scored 19 goals and conceded 12 this season, giving them a goal difference of plus seven.

Looking ahead

Before the cup tie, Salford face a tough league trip to fourth-placed Walsall this Saturday 26 October. The focus will then shift to the FA Cup and a trip to Cumbria. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, who helped conduct the draw on TNT Sports alongside Fara Williams, simply noted the pairing. "The draw was made on TNT Sports by Martin Keown and Fara Williams," he said.

Key players like Luke Molyneux, Will Aimson, and Jorge Grant will be central to Salford's plans, while former Ammie Junior Luamba is likely to miss the game for Carlisle through injury. The club's next fixture is the league trip to Walsall on 26 October. Top scorer R. Graydon, with 11 goals this season, will be a key threat.

First reported at carlisleunited.co.uk