"It's an experience that I think can be positive"
09:53, 13 Jan 2026
Exeter City's Jack Fitzwater scores an own goal to gift Manchester City a fourth goal during the Emirates FA Cup third round match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester.
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Exeter City's Jack Fitzwater scores an own goal to gift Manchester City a fourth goal during the Emirates FA Cup third round match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. (Image: PA)
Exeter City’s FA Cup trip to Manchester City it’s fair to say did not go as planned. The Grecians travelled to the Etihad Stadium with the hope of causing one of the great shocks in the competition, but instead made a different kind of history.
The 10-1 defeat was the first time in the 125-year history of Exeter City where they had conceded double figures in a competitive fixture. The loss surpassed the three 9-0s against Notts County in 1948, Northampton Town in 1958 and Reading in the EFL Trophy in 2023 to be the worst ever one which they have suffered.
Having gone into the game in a good run of form – only two defeats in eight – the result was a disappointing one for sure. Almost every City fan probably expected the Premier League side to be too good and win the game easily, I don’t think many thought they would have had double figures down as a forecast for what Pep Guardiola’s men would do.
But as manager Gary Caldwell said post-match, Exeter’s season won’t be defined by the FA Cup. It will be defined by League One and the 22 games still to come, starting with Stevenage on Saturday back at St James Park.
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Manchester City scoreboard showing theyve scored 10 during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Exeter City on 10 January 2026 in Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England. Photo by Tom Sandberg/PPAUK(Image: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
There will be plenty of learnings for the Devon side from the ‘humbling’ experience. But if they take those on board, put them into practice, and even replicate some of what it is hoped they learned from close quarters against the Citizens, then there could be some benefit from Saturday’s thrashing.
“Their behaviours throughout were relentless, their attitude and the respect they showed us I thought was outstanding and they did what Man City should do to us,” Caldwell said.
“They were clinical. Some of their play, the rotations are exceptional, but for me, I just said to the players, the thing that stands out is the way they recover the ball, the way they run for each other, the way they defend and they kept going.
“And we can take a lot from this game in terms of the behaviours we try and coaching the players every day and the behaviours we try and instil. It's an experience that I think can be positive. Once you analyse it in the cold light of day, and ultimately our season will not be defined by this, our season will be defined by the next 22 league games.
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Jack Fitzwater of Exeter City looks dejected during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Exeter City on 10 January 2026 in Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England. Photo by Tom Sandberg/PPAUK(Image: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)
“What I will say is, we conceded some poor goals in that first half and we have to, I said all week, you matter who we're playing against, we have to do the right things and we can take a backward step. Sometimes the badge on the front and the name on the back can change your behaviours and instead of stepping forward you take a half step back. And I'm sure some players will look back and think I could have done this or I could have done that, as long as they learned from it and as long as they take in in the next 22 league games, then, it can be a really good experience.
“I thought we created some moments on the counterattack where our passing can be better, and that's what we have to look at. I think everything we can look at today can be on us as much as Man City were great, we can learn from them, the moments in the game where we can do better, we have to learn from.
“And that is it's been the key to our whole season, whenever we play at League One level, we review win, lose, or draw, and this is the same. It's a humbling experience, but it's an experience against one of the greatest teams in the world, and we have to learn from it in a really positive way.”
City have prided themselves on trying to be the ‘best defensive team in the league’ this season. They had conceded only 23 goals in League One, with only Stevenage, who comes to Devon on Saturday, having let in fewer, so to concede ten was undoubtedly an aberration – or at least it has to be.
In truth, the stats show the game was a lot closer than the scoreline, and the Grecians squandered chance of their own, and were undone by a succession of stunning finishes by the hosts, as well as some unfortunate moments where luck was not on City’s side for several of the goals.
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Liam Oakes of Exeter City heads for goal during the Emirates FA Cup Round 3 match between Manchester City and Exeter City at The Etihad Stadium on 10 January 2026 in Manchester, England (Photo by Steve Taylor/PPAUK)(Image: Steve Taylor/PPAUK)
Based on xG, rather than 10-1, it was 2.45-0.73, with Man City scoring ten from ten shots on target (although two of the goals officially went down as own goals). But Exeter had chances of their own – Liam Oakes with a header very early on at 0-0, while Ilmari Niskanen should have done a lot better when clean through at 2-0.
“I love their behaviours when they kept going, they didn't stop at any score,” Caldwell added. “They wanted more goals. And that is a brilliant lesson for us and what it takes to be the very best.
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“Like I said, I thought the goals we conceded in the first half were preventable. That would be the one big disappointment from the first half that we have been better than that in League One this year.”