Five Things Learned: Manchester City 10-1 Exeter City (FA Cup Third Round) | OneFootball

Manchester City kicked off their 2025-26 FA Cup campaign with a stunning 10-1 rout of League One side Exeter to claim their first win of the new calendar year.

After three straight draws in the Premier League with many missed opportunities, Guardiola’s squad finally seemed to have worn their scoring boots, netting 10 goals in 90 minutes – the first time an English top division club celebrated 10+ goals in a single match since 1986 and the first time the feat has been achieved in the FA Cup since 1960.

It took 12 minutes for the goal fest to begin as Max Alleyne was opportunistic inside the penalty box and scored his first City goal in only his second senior appearance for the club – less than a week on from returning to Manchester from a loan at Watford

Twelve minutes later, Rodri delivered his trademark rocket with a long distance strike – his first goal in over 600 days since he netted the winner in a 3-1 victory over West Ham on the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign to secure a record fourth successive league crown for the Blues.

The third goal is still debatable: was it Nathan Ake’s no-look finish or Jake Doyle-Hayes’ own-goal? Either way, it came from a corner and put the game beyond reasonable doubt.

For those who defend the second perspective, ‘own goal’ should be considered as signing of the season, as it was also how the fourth goal came to happen, this time with Jack Fitzwater hitting his own net, played by a Tijjani Reijnders low-driven cross.

City’s new £64 million man Antoine Semenyo set up Rico Lewis for the fifth with a devastating cross into the box and made it six with a clinical finish after some magical play from Rayan Cherki. The Ghanaian was substituted by Jeremy Doku, who set up Reijnders for the seventh.

Goals eight and nine were made in the Manchester City academy. With just over 10 minutes of normal time left, Lewis found Nico O’Reilly with an exquisite cross and the latter curled a header in off the post.

Minutes later, Divine Mukasa squared to 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo to hit a powerful shot past a sorry Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth, awarding himself a much deserved goal and an emotional celebration with his family at the Eithad Stadium.

When it looked like the game was over, Exeter found a consolation goal thanks to an amazing George Birch shot from distance in the 90th minute. However, City simply did not want to leave without scoring another one and after a single spin on the clock, Doku played the ball for captain Lewis to rifle it in from close range.

With this unbelievable scoring of 10-1, Manchester City have progressed to the FA Cup fourth-round, though who the Blues will come up against next they shall learn on Monday January 12.

Here are five things we learned from City’s first win of 2026!

1. Antoine Semenyo has arrived

Having officially joined City a day before his debut, the match against Exeter was only Semenyo’s second activity with his new teammates and he played like he was there for ages. It was not a star debut – it was what the club needed from a winger.

The Ghanaian international was thought to be too explosive to fit the way Guardiola’s men perform on the pitch but he proved to be the opposite: calm, composed, keeping possession well and knowing when to use his explosiveness.

The assist and goal were only a cherry on top of the cake. Semenyo tried incisive passes, quick dribbles and bright ideas – the perfect start to show himself to the fans, the manager and his colleagues. “This is only the beginning, there is more to come…”

2. Ryan McAidoo: The future is bright

When a 17-year-old makes his debut for the club, it is always a day to remember. McAidoo left an impression that the years to come are going to ask for more and more matches in sky blue.

Skilful, rapid, talented and clever. Memories of a young Phil Foden emerged – despite the different positions, of course – as McAidoo ran with the ball without a fear of failure and helped the team build in possession. When a young baller has this personality and happiness on the pitch, it is given that they will succeed in their career.

Seeing him celebrate his first senior goal for his boyhood club with his family was arguably the moment of the night, as another youngster from the City Football Academy made his mark on the first-team in the oldest football cup competition in history.

3. Rico Lewis deserves his flowers

This season, Lewis has seen his game time reduce as Matheus Nunes claimed the right-back spot and options in midfield gave the 21-year-old no room in the starting XI. However, against Exeter he showed how prolific he can be with freedom to play. 

Lewis’ ability to find space and attack them at the right time is one of the best inside the squad, if not the top one. His goals (and assist) showed how his movement as a defender can blend in, offering extra alternatives from tactical points of view – especially after Pepijn Lijnders joined the club as part of Guardiola’s coaching staff last summer.

In addition, wearing the armband in the second-half testifies the academy graduate’s work-ethic in wanting to keep pushing and working hard for the badge that he loves.

4. The Academy makes its mark

A total of seven academy graduates – McAidoo, Lewis, Alleyne, James Trafford, O’Reilly, Mukasa and Stephen Mfuni – were involved against Exeter – a proud day for the club, especially given all of them made an impact. Lewis and McAidoo were already praised in this article, while Trafford made an impressive save to keep the visitors at bay early on.

Alleyne showed again why re-calling him from Watford was a great decision, O’Reilly finally got game time in midfield, Mukasa found spaces playing away from his natural position and Mfuni displayed versatility to act as a left-back and a centre-half. Not only that but all of them proved to be dedicated and concentrated enough to fight for the team while enjoying football.

A game like this is a great showcase for potential loans and also more game time with the main squad, all key for their development. Guardiola was right when he said that “the academy of Manchester City works really good”. All of Europe takes an eye on City or at least they should – perhaps the Blues also have to look more carefully at their own young stars.

5. A timely shift in confidence

After three straight draws in the Premier League with many missed chances, scoring 10 on the bounce might be what Guardiola and co needed to return to scoring ways for the remainder of the season.

Statistically, for instance, City scored 10 from 2.45 expected goals today, while against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton, the club accumulated a total of 5.39 xG with only two goals, one being a penalty. This means the team can shoot more from rang as well as create clear-cut opportunities to score and win matches.

Ten goals is not likely to repeat itself soon enough but the result stimulates more discipline, composure and numbers in front of the opposing keeper – a much needed outcome if Manchester City are to win silverware this season.