Manchester City 10 Exeter City 1: match reportBlues ease into FA cup fourth round after hitting ten goals past Exeter
Manchester City defeated Exeter City 10-1 in the FA cup third round, equalling the scoreline of their largest ever victory. Despite the opposition, the Blues still used a relatively strong lineup. Trafford started in goal. Lewis, Khusanov, Alleyne, and Ake were in the back four. Academy player Mcaidoo made his debut and joined Rodri and Reijnders in midfield. New signing Semenyo also made his first appearance for the club in attack with Cherki and Haaland.
The first half saw four of the game’s eleven goals, all of which were for City and they did so by looking in second gear for most of the half. The first goal was scored by Alleyne after a scramble in the box from a corner, the young centre back stuck his foot out onto the ball and it found its way in off the post to give the Blues the lead. Moments later, Semenyo had the ball and attempted to get a shot off, which was blocked and fell into the path of Rodri, who struck one from far out and rifled into the net to make it 2-0.
Another goal came later from another corner which was yet another scramble and eventually followed its way through when Ake got the last touch towards goal, coming off an Exeter defender for an own goal. Reijnders then had the ball in the box moments later and passed it in but once again bounced off an Exeter player into the net to make it 4-0 at half-time.
In the second half, the Blues were even more ruthless, scoring just four minutes in. Semenyo crossed the ball in which found Lewis at the near post making it 5-0 to the Blues. Six minutes later, Cherki picked out Semenyo and passed a through ball into the winger who ran and finished the move with ease to make it 6-0. Semenyo was then replaced by Doku and Bernardo came on for Alleyne.
City found their seventh through Reijnders, whose shot from outside the box curled into the bottom right corner. Substitute O’Reilly then scored the eighth, after Lewis’s cross found him and the resulting header found its way past the Exeter keeper, who was certainly not having his best day between the sticks. McAidoo then scored a debut goal and a much deserved one, running through the defence and striking one right past the keeper to make it 9.
On the 90th minute mark, Exeter and their travelling fans finally had something to cheer when Birch took a fantastic strike from outside of the box rocketing into the top corner to salvage something from the game. They could not hold on to hold City to a single digit score tally however, moments later the ball was in the Exeter City box yet again after Doku attempted to find the net the ball bumbled to Lewis who struck one into the roof of the net to make it 10 for City. The full-time whistle blew shortly after.
The nine-goal margin of victory is City’s biggest since their 9-0 win over Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup semi-final 2019. It is also their second 10-1 win after their victory over Huddersfield in 1987. Granted the quality of the opposition was much different, it may well be a much-needed hammering for the Blues given their recent struggle and draws in the Premier League and this may well be a confidence booster in some aspects. City face Newcastle away next in the Carabao Cup semi-final before returning to league action next weekend in the Derby.
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