Manchester City began their FA Cup journey in astonishing fashion, demolishing Exeter City 10-1 in the third round at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Pep Guardiola’s heavily rotated and youthful side showed no mercy against their League One opposition, with new signing Antoine Semenyo enjoying a dream debut that included both a goal and an assist. Academy graduate Max Alleyne also marked a memorable day by scoring his first senior goal for the club.
The fixture marked the first-ever competitive meeting between Manchester City and Exeter, and the visitors almost stunned the home crowd early on. Just five minutes into the contest, Exeter defender Ed Turns rose highest from a set piece and directed a powerful header towards goal, only for City’s cup goalkeeper James Trafford to produce a sharp save and push the effort away.
City quickly recovered from that early scare and soon asserted total control over proceedings. Their opener arrived in the 12th minute when centre-back Max Alleyne, fresh from making his senior debut in the midweek Premier League draw with Brighton, reacted quickest during a goalmouth scramble to bundle the ball over the line.
With confidence flowing, Guardiola’s side continued to pile on the pressure. The lead was doubled midway through the first half when Rodri unleashed a thunderous strike from distance, sending the ball beyond Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth and into the back of the net. It marked a welcome moment for the Spaniard as he continues his return to full fitness.
The closing stages of the first half turned disastrous for Exeter. In a cruel five-minute spell, they conceded twice more through unfortunate own goals. Jake Doyle-Hayes and Jack Fitzwater each inadvertently diverted the ball into their own net as City’s relentless attacks overwhelmed the visitors before the interval.
Manchester City showed no signs of easing off after the break. Antoine Semenyo, who had only completed his £65 million move from Bournemouth the previous day, wasted little time in making his presence felt. The winger produced a clever assist to tee up Rico Lewis for City’s fifth goal before calmly finishing himself just minutes later to make it 6-0.
Guardiola took the opportunity to rotate further in the second half, introducing a number of young players. Stephen Mfuni was handed his second debut for the club, while fellow academy product Ryan McAidoo also made his first appearance in City colours. Both youngsters impressed as City’s dominance continued unabated.
The goals kept flowing as Tijjani Reijnders added City’s seventh after 71 minutes, continuing his recent scoring run following goals against Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. Soon after, substitutes Nico O’Reilly and McAidoo both found the net during a breathtaking seven-minute spell that took the scoreline to an astonishing 9-0.
Exeter finally managed to claim a small consolation late on when substitute George Birch pulled a goal back for Gary Caldwell’s side, giving the travelling supporters something to cheer after a punishing afternoon. However, any brief respite was quickly ended when Rico Lewis struck again in stoppage time to restore City’s nine-goal cushion and complete the scoring.
Manchester City Player Ratings
James Trafford (6/10):
Selected as the City’s goalkeeper for domestic cup fixtures, Trafford made an important early save to deny Ed Turns but was largely untroubled for the remainder of the match.
Rico Lewis (9/10):
Starting in place of Matheus Nunes, Lewis delivered an outstanding display, scoring twice and constantly threatening down the right flank.
Abdukodir Khusanov (7/10):
The centre-back continued his run in the starting XI and played a key role in the build-up to City’s opening goal.
Max Alleyne (8/10):
A memorable week for the youngster, who followed up his senior debut with his first goal for the club in assured fashion.
Nathan Ake (6/10):
Reliable as ever in the FA Cup, though his effort was ultimately recorded as an own goal. Replaced at half-time.
Tijjani Reijnders (7/10):
Influential throughout, contributing to his own goal before adding his name to the scoresheet in the second half.
Rodri (7/10):
Marked his return to form with a superb long-range strike before being withdrawn at the break.
Rayan Cherki (8/10):
A constant creative threat, providing the assist for Semenyo’s debut goal and causing problems between the lines.
Ryan McAidoo (8/10):
Enjoyed a dream debut, capping his performance with a well-taken goal late on.
Erling Haaland (5/10):
Surprisingly went without a goal and was rested at half-time with the result already secure.
Antoine Semenyo (8/10):
An excellent debut showing, registering both a goal and an assist in an impactful second-half performance.
Substitutes:
Nico O’Reilly (7/10), Stephen Mfuni (6/10), Divine Mukasa (7/10), Bernardo Silva (6/10), Jeremy Doku (8/10)
Pep Guardiola (8/10):
Rotated heavily and was rewarded as City’s youngsters and new signings delivered a ruthless performance.