Antoine Semenyo made a goalscoring debut as Manchester Metropolis hit double figures in a 10-1 thrashing of Exeter within the FA Cup third spherical.
Rodri additionally struck his first objective for 20 months and Rico Lewis netted twice as Pep Guardiola’s facet demolished the League One outfit on the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Teen Max Alleyne started the rout along with his first senior strike and there have been two personal objectives earlier than Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly and 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo received on the scoresheet.
Exeter’s one shiny second was an outstanding late comfort strike from George Birch.
After faltering within the Premier League with three successive attracts, and with a Carabao Cup semi-final to come back in midweek, this was as comfy a day as Metropolis might have hoped for.
It was their greatest win since beating Huddersfield by the identical scoreline in 1987. Metropolis additionally beat Burton by 9 objectives in a 9-0 victory in 2019.
Guardiola could not have been on the touchline as he served a one-match ban but it surely was clear from the teamsheet he meant enterprise.
The Metropolis boss did make six modifications however his line-up was a robust one with Semenyo straight in for his debut following his £64m transfer from Bournemouth and Rodri and Erling Haaland among the many starters.
There was only a sprinkling of inexperience with McAidoo making his first look and Alleyne retaining his place from midweek.
Max Alleyne scored Metropolis’s opener after 12 minutes along with his first objective for the membership
Exeter virtually made a dream begin as Liam Oakes outjumped the Metropolis defence at an early nook however his header was palmed over by James Trafford.
Their hopes of inflicting an upset ended there.
Metropolis’s opener got here on 12 minutes because the guests didn’t clear in a crowded space and Alleyne, who started the month on mortgage at Watford, prodded residence.
The hosts doubled their lead 12 minutes later as Rodri despatched a 25-yard piledriver flying into the online after a Semenyo shot was blocked.
It was his first objective since Could 2024 and a notable milestone in his persevering with restoration from a long-term damage nightmare.
Two extra objectives adopted in fast succession earlier than the break. Each have been recorded as personal objectives, although there was debate for the primary over whether or not Jack Fitzwater’s header had rebounded in off team-mate Jake Doyle-Hayes or Metropolis’s Nathan Ake.
Rodri hit his first objective since Could 2024
There was additionally uncertainty over which Exeter participant received the ultimate contact to the second personal objective with Fitzwater and Doyle-Hayes in shut proximity as a Reijnders cross was diverted in.
Fitzwater this time took the rap however what was clear was that the sport was pretty much as good as over.
The second half was a procession. Lewis made it 5-0 early within the second half when he volleyed in from a Semenyo cross and the Ghana worldwide scored himself quickly after when he raced onto an extended ball and slipped previous Joe Whitworth.
Reijnders curled in a seventh from the sting of the world 20 minutes from time and substitute O’Reilly added one other with a effective header from a Lewis cross.
McAidoo hit the ninth from simply exterior the world earlier than Birch rattled a shot into the highest nook to offer the Grecians at the very least one second to savour.
Metropolis weren’t finished and Lewis lashed residence a bouncing ball in stoppage time.
Lijnders: We wish to attain extra cup finals this season
Man Metropolis assistant Pep Lijnders:
“We want to reach finals this year and we are on our way. We play now the semi-final for the League Cup.
“We go additional right here within the FA Cup and we’re within the Champions League in place. We wish to construct on that.
“But for us the most important thing, Pep says it all the time, we want to grow, we want to build, we want to make the next step as a team.
“For that we have to preserve working laborious and take nothing with no consideration. With this we are going to develop and we are going to make the following step.
“I think (there were) a lot of good performances today. When the team plays like that it becomes easier for the individual but Antoine is settling well.
“He’s a humble man. He brings one thing to the entrance line that we actually need and we’d like.
“He can attack quick, he wants to chase, he is a guy who doesn’t stop. He can adapt quite quickly to our style.”
Caldwell: Man Metropolis did what they need to have finished to us
Exeter supervisor Gary Caldwell:
“If that early chance [from Liam Oakes] had gone in, it might have annoyed them and they might have scored more!
“It is a lesson that when among the best managers of all time must win a recreation, he picks a group to win it.
“The respect they showed was outstanding – they did what Man City should have done to us.
“It was a very humbling expertise however our season won’t be outlined by this. It is going to be outlined by the remaining league video games.”
