In a display of ruthless efficiency that set a new modern benchmark for the club, Manchester City surged into the FA Cup fourth round with a staggering 10-1 victory over League One side Exeter City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The emphatic win, which marked the first time the club has scored ten goals in a match since November 1987, was headlined by a dream debut for new £65 million signing Antoine Semenyo and showcased the prolific output of the club’s academy graduates.
Despite the one-sided final score, the match began with a glimmer of hope for the nearly 8,000 traveling Exeter supporters, who witnessed their side nearly take a shock lead within five minutes when Liam Oakes’s powerful header was superbly tipped over by City goalkeeper James Trafford.
That hope was swiftly extinguished, however, as City’s attacking machinery clicked into gear. Young defender Max Alleyne, making just his second appearance, opened the floodgates in the 12th minute by prodding home from close range.
Captain Rodri then effectively ended the contest as a spectacle with a thunderous 30-yard strike that doubled the lead. The first half concluded in unfortunate fashion for Exeter defender Jack Fitzwater, whose disastrous three-minute spell included a headed clearance that deflected in off teammate Jake Doyle-Hayes before he inadvertently turned a low cross into his own net, sending City into the break 4-0 ahead.
The second half transformed into a procession of goals and a celebration of City’s present and future. January signing Antoine Semenyo quickly made his mark, first providing a pinpoint cross for Rico Lewis to poke home and then coolly slotting a through ball from Rayan Cherki under the goalkeeper for a debut goal.
Further strikes from Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly, and 17-year-old academy winger Ryan McAidoo, who like Semenyo scored on his senior debut, pushed the score to 9-0. Exeter’s George Birch provided the 7,800-strong away contingent with a memorable moment to cheer, hammering in a stunning 30-yard consolation in the 90th minute.
There was still time, however, for Rico Lewis to smash in his second and City’s tenth in stoppage time, completing the historic rout.
The victory was a powerful statement from a rotated City side managed from the stands by Pep Guardiola, who served a one-game touchline ban. Beyond the sheer number of goals, the performance highlighted the seamless integration of new talent and the thriving youth system at the club.
Semenyo’s immediate impact justified his hefty price tag, while McAidoo’s goal made him the seventh academy player to debut for the first team this season, followed minutes later by substitute Stephen Mfuni as the eighth. The result sends Manchester City into Monday’s fourth-round draw for the 15th successive season, with attention now turning to a Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Newcastle United.
For Exeter City, the defeat represents their heaviest ever, ending an FA Cup run but gifting their tremendous away support a moment of sheer brilliance from George Birch to remember from an otherwise unforgiving afternoon.