Match Report & Player Ratings: Manchester City 10-1 Exeter City (FA Cup Third Round) | OneFootball

Manchester City delivered one of the most emphatic FA Cup performances in their modern history as they swept aside Exeter City 10–1 at the Etihad Stadium to book their place in the fourth round.

In a night that blended youth, rotation and ruthless execution, Pep Guardiola’s heavily changed side eventually overwhelmed spirited early resistance from the League One visitors. Goals arrived from all angles, nine different City players found the net and several debutants seized their moment under the lights.

Despite Exeter’s bright opening and a late consolation strike, the gulf in depth, structure and quality told decisively as City turned an initially awkward contest into a statement victory. Guardiola’s selection reflected both opportunity and necessity.

With league and European priorities in mind, the City manager made six changes from the side that drew with Brighton, resting several senior figures while handing starts to squad players and academy prospects. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku all began on the bench.

In came James Trafford in goal, a youthful back line and a forward unit featuring debutant Ryan McAidoo and new signing Antoine Semenyo alongside Erling Haaland. Rayan Cherki operated centrally as the creative fulcrum, supported by Tijjani Reijnders.

City set up in their familiar positional structure. Rodri anchored the midfield, shielding a three-man defensive line of Nathan Ake, Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Rico Lewis inverted from right-back into midfield during possession, allowing City to dominate central zones. Semenyo and McAidoo held the width, stretching Exeter horizontally, while Cherki floated between the lines as a roaming number ten. Despite City’s early monopoly of the ball, it was Exeter who struck first in terms of danger.

Jayden Wareham pounced on a loose pass from Lewis and drove toward goal, his shot blocked bravely by Alleyne. From the resulting corner, Liam Oakes, celebrating his 19th birthday, met the delivery with a close-range header that seemed destined for the net until Trafford produced an outstanding reflex save on the line.

Within five minutes, Exeter had registered two attempts, one on target – and Guardiola, watching from the stands, cut a visibly displeased figure. That early scare sharpened City’s focus. The hosts continued to probe patiently, circulating possession with increasing tempo. The breakthrough arrived in the 12th minute from a set-piece scramble.

Haaland’s initial effort was blocked, leading to a corner that Exeter failed to clear convincingly. The ball dropped to Alleyne, who poked it past Joe Whitworth. The Exeter goalkeeper will feel he should have done better, but City were ahead and the tension inside the stadium eased.

The second goal, however, was the night’s most anticipated moment. In the 24th minute, Rodri, returning to the scoresheet after a long drought, produced a reminder of his authority. After exchanging passes with Semenyo, Rodri collected a loose rebound on the edge of the area and unleashed a thunderous 25-yard strike into the bottom left corner.

It was his first goal since May 2024 and the Etihad Stadium responded with a roar befitting a Ballon d’Or winner rediscovering his range. City continued to press. McAidoo offered glimpses of his potential, gliding past defenders and narrowly dragging a shot wide.

Semenyo and Haaland combined well, forcing Whitworth into a save before Jack Fitzwater cleared Cherki’s follow-up. The third goal arrived shortly before the interval, once again from a corner. Fitzwater’s attempted clearance ricocheted off Ake and then off Jack Doyle-Hayes into the net, compounding Exeter’s misery.

The visitors’ ordeal deepened in added time. Reijnders delivered a low cross that Fitzwater, under pressure, diverted into his own net. At 4-0 by half-time, the contest was effectively settled, though Exeter’s early enterprise deserved more than the scoreline suggested.

Guardiola used the interval to make three changes, withdrawing Haaland, Ake and Rodri for Divine Mukasa, Stephen Mfuni and Nico O’Reilly. The alterations did nothing to disrupt City’s rhythm. Four minutes into the second-half, Semenyo combined neatly with Reijnders before whipping in a pinpoint cross for Lewis to tap home at the far post.

Semenyo then crowned his debut with a goal of real composure. Cherki threaded a perfectly weighted through ball, allowing the forward to race beyond Fitzwater and slot calmly into the bottom corner. At 6-0, the gulf in quality was stark.

Further changes followed, with Bernardo Silva and Doku introduced to maintain intensity. City could have scored immediately again when Silva picked out Lewis in the box but the defender dragged his shot wide. The seventh goal soon arrived regardless.

Doku fed Reijnders on the edge of the area, and the Dutchman curled a superb 20-yard effort beyond Whitworth, marking City’s ninth different scorer of the night.

Nico O’Reilly added an eighth with a header from Lewis’s cross, equalling City’s highest FA Cup third-round scoring feat – before McAidoo netted a memorable debut goal, rifling a left-footed finish into the corner in the 85th minute.

Exeter briefly had their moment of pride when George Birch produced a stunning long-range strike into the top corner, but City’s response was immediate. Deep into stoppage time, Lewis surged forward and smashed home his second of the night to complete a remarkable 10-1 victory.

Here’s how we rated the Manchester City players from the pandemonium win in the FA Cup curtain-raiser.

Starting XI

James Trafford – 6.5/10

Made a crucial early save to deny Oakes and remained composed thereafter. Distribution was clean throughout.

Rico Lewis – 8/10

Outstanding. Inverted intelligently, supplied an assist and scored twice. Controlled the right side with maturity beyond his years.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 7/10

Strong in duels and assured in possession. Rarely troubled after the opening exchanges.

Max Alleyne – 7.5/10

Scored his first senior goal and defended resolutely. Intercepted well and recovered impressively after Exeter’s early pressure.

Nathan Ake – 6/10

Solid without being stretched. Maintained structure before being withdrawn at half-time.

Rodri – 8/10

Dominant in midfield and scored a magnificent goal. Set the tempo and distributed with authority.

Tijjani Reijnders – 7/10

Energetic and inventive. Took his goal beautifully and linked play well between midfield and attack.

Ryan McAidoo – 7.5/10

Fearless on debut. Beat defenders, scored late on and showed real promise on the right flank.

Rayan Cherki – 6.5/10

Provided an assist and moments of creativity, though quieter than in recent league outings.

Antoine Semenyo – 8.5/10 (POTM)

An excellent debut. One goal, one assist and constant movement that unsettled Exeter’s defence.

Erling Haaland – 6.5/10

Worked hard but saw limited service. Withdrawn early with the game under control.

Substitutes

Nico O’Reilly – 7/10

Marked his introduction with a well-taken header.

Divine Mukasa – 6.5/10

Provided an assist and energy in attack.

Stephen Mfuni – 6/10

Neat and tidy, helped maintain City’s structure.

Jeremy Doku – 7/10

Direct and lively after coming on, assisting Reijnders’ and Lewis’ goal.

Bernardo Silva – 6/10

Added control and experience in the final half hour.