Sitting in the stand serving a one-game suspension, Pep Guardiola was completely impassive as his team’s tenth goal went in. Sometimes the FA Cup baffles even those who have grown used to it.
On the same day that Macclesfield Town had showcased the famous old competition beautifully, Exeter City from three divisions higher were rolled over in embarrassing fashion just a few miles up the road at the Etihad Stadium.
This equalled a modern record for City when it comes to biggest wins. They stuck eight past Salford City this time last year but here they punished Exeter with ten strikes of the whip to match a rather famous 10-1 demolition of Huddersfield Town from 1987.
That game took place in the old First Division so was perhaps more notable. Still, this afternoon - even it was a mismatch - will be remembered for some time to come.
Remarkably, City spread their ten goals over nine different scorers – including two Exeter own goals – with only Rico Lewis scoring twice. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland didn’t score at all and the goal of the game came in the 90th minute from the left foot of Exeter substitute George Birch. Exeter had also come close to scoring the opening goal of the game in just the fifth minute.
Over the course of the game, though, Exeter were far too submissive and they will have gone home rather downcast. City were clinical and hungry but Exeter lacked intensity and, as time wore on, some of the basic principles of organisation. Manager Gary Caldwell – on the bench as Wigan beat City in the 2013 Cup Final – has had better games as a manager. City had ten shots on target from their own players and eight of them went in.
An early goal on only his second City appearance for 20-year-old defender Max Alleyne was soft and if the next one – a rocket from the fit-again Rodri – was a belter, the two that followed before half-time took their definitive touches from Exeter players – Jake Doyle-Hayes and Jack Fitzwater ending up with the OGs against their names.
City asserted themselves further early in the second half as new signing Antoine Semenyo made a goal for Lewis and then scored one himself.
Two more soon followed, from the right foot of Tijjani Reijnders and the head of Nico O’Reilly before Ryan McAidoo and – in added time – Lewis contributed numbers nine and ten.
GENTLE DEBUT FOR SEMENYO
City’s new arrival said goodbye to Bournemouth with a goal in midweek and announced his arrival at City with a performance that improved as the game went on and then, almost inevitably, his first strike in his new colours.
Despite the modest nature of the opposition, the 26-year-old was rather subdued early on. Exeter – with five men stretched across the back – were quick to double up on him and his first instinct seemed to be to pass backwards and sideways. His first really positive contribution was to turn in centre field in the 33rd minute, hold off an opponent and play a ball through to Erling Haaland.
The City forward’s low shot could have crept in to the corner. After that – as City scored the goals that started to embarrass their opponents – Semenyo came more and more to the fore. His low cross to Rico Lewis just after half-time was inch perfect and led to goal number five for his team. Minutes later, set free by the excellent Rayan Cherki, he scored number six himself.
It won’t be this easy every week for sure. City are at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and it will be fascinating to see if Semenyo plays. He was eventually replaced by Jeremy Doku with 25 minutes left and City now have extraordinary strength in depth in that position.
RODRI RETURN COULD BE THE KEY
Guardiola sat in the press conference room after his team had beaten Real Madrid at the Bernabeu early in December and warned that his new-look team must improve quickly if they were to challenge for big trophies at home and in Europe this season.
The City coach also talked about the need for experience and with that in mind the return to fitness and action of his holding midfield leader Rodri now feels like being of huge importance.
Having suffered a knee injury at the start of last season, this is Rodri’s second attempt at a comeback and only his second start since the beginning of October. The great Spaniard will certainly have more difficult afternoons.
If every game was played at this kind of pace, the 29-year-old would play until he was 40. Nevertheless, he looked as though he was starting to find his gears and the goal he drove in from 25 yards in the first half was the highlight of the City afternoon. No player will be more important for his between now and the season's end.
SPREAD NETTING
How many times will Erling Haaland start for a team that scores ten and end the afternoon without a goal of his own? Maybe never again. The great Norwegian forward only played for the first 45 minutes but even so his team had already scored four by then and he had only really come close once.
Indeed one of the peculiarities of this game was that City’s goals were scored by nine different players. There were some nice stories buried within it all. Young defender Max Alleyne had only been recalled from a loan at Watford last week after City suffered injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias.
This was only his second appearance and first City goal. That goal – his team’s first - was set up for him by 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo on his own debut and the teenager was to score a goal of his own in the dying moments of the game.
There was also an FA Cup debut for 18-year-old Divine Mukasa, who came on at half-time, and a first appearance for 17-year-old defender Stephen Mfuni.
A DAY TO FORGET
With the exploits of Macclesfield till reverberating across the football landscape, Exeter had their own early opportunity to shake a Premier League opponent to the soles of their boots.
In only the fifth minute at the Etihad, Exeter forward Jayden Wareham rose on the six-yard line to meet a corner and really should have scored. It took a very good save from City’s reserve goalkeeper James Trafford to stop the team from the third tier taking the lead.
That was very much as good as it got for Gary Caldwell and his team, however. Over the next 90 minutes, City rather embarrassed them.
As Salford found out last season, any lower league team that comes here takes their life in their hands. Equally, Exeter contributed hugely to their own downfall.
The very least a team from a lower division has to offer on a day like this energy and intensity and enthusiasm. Sadly, Exeter were lacking. Birch’s late goal was beautiful and prompted wild celebrations in the away end.
It was nice to see. But the fact that City scored their next – and tenth- goal immediately afterwards perhaps summed up their day.