Manchester City stormed into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a ruthless 10-1 demolition of League One side Exeter City, as Antoine Semenyo marked his debut with a goal in a one-sided contest at the Etihad Stadium.
The third-round tie was effectively decided long before the interval, with City’s quality and intensity proving overwhelming for opponents playing two divisions below them.
Pep Guardiola, serving a one-match touchline ban, watched from the stands as his side delivered a performance that matched the club’s biggest-ever victory in the competition.
City started strongly but were briefly unsettled when Exeter threatened inside the opening five minutes, forcing James Trafford into a sharp reflex save from Liam Oakes’ header.
Any notion of an upset was swiftly extinguished when Max Alleyne opened the scoring on 12 minutes, poking home from close range to claim his first senior goal for the club.
Rodri doubled the advantage with a thunderous long-range strike, a finish that underlined the gulf in class between the two sides.
Exeter’s resistance crumbled before half-time as City added two more goals, both coming via unfortunate own goals that reflected the mounting pressure inside the visitors’ penalty area.
At the break, the scoreline already read 4-0 and the tie was beyond doubt.
Guardiola’s side showed no mercy after the restart, continuing to play with speed and precision despite the contest being effectively over.
Semenyo, handed a start shortly after completing his high-profile move, came to life in the second half and provided the assist for Rico Lewis to volley in City’s fifth.
The Ghanaian forward then ensured his debut would be remembered, timing his run perfectly before calmly finishing to make it 6-0.
Further goals followed in quick succession as Tijjani Reijnders curled in a fine effort, Nico O’Reilly nodded home from close range, and fellow debutant Ryan McAidoo drilled a confident finish from the edge of the area.
Exeter briefly had something to celebrate when 19-year-old George Birch smashed in a consolation goal late on, earning loud applause from the travelling supporters.
That moment was short-lived, however, as Lewis struck again to complete the scoring and restore City’s nine-goal cushion.
The 10-1 scoreline matched City’s biggest victory, last achieved against Huddersfield Town in 1987, and underlined their formidable home record in the FA Cup.
For Exeter, the game was a harsh lesson against elite opposition, though Birch’s goal provided a rare highlight in an otherwise punishing evening.
City now move confidently into the fourth round, buoyed by a dominant display and an encouraging debut from their latest attacking addition.
