ANTOINE SEMENYO MADE a goalscoring debut as Manchester City hit double figures in a 10-1 thrashing of Exeter in the FA Cup third round.
Rodri also struck his first goal for 20 months and Rico Lewis netted twice as Pep Guardiola’s side demolished the League One outfit at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Youngster Max Alleyne began the rout with his first senior strike and there were two own goals before before Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly and 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo got on the scoresheet.
Exeter’s one bright moment was a superb late consolation strike from George Birch.
After faltering in the Premier League with three successive draws, and with a Carabao Cup semi-final to come in midweek, this was as comfortable an afternoon as City could have hoped for.
It was their biggest win since beating Huddersfield by the same scoreline in 1987. City also beat Burton by nine goals in a 9-0 victory in 2019.
Guardiola may not have been on the touchline as he served a one-match ban but it was clear from the teamsheet he meant business.
The City boss did make six changes but his line-up was a strong one with Semenyo straight in for his debut following his £62.5million move from Bournemouth and Rodri and Erling Haaland among the starters.
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Elsewhere, it was not as comprehensive a victory but Brentford cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup after easing past crisis-club Sheffield Wednesday 2-0.
The Bees are flying in the Premier League under Keith Andrews this season and will now be eyeing a cup run after goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Mathias Jensen earned them victory at Hillsborough.
The scoreline did not reflect Brentford’s total domination and it would have been far more handsome but for a heroic performance from young Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
Only an injury to England international Jordan Henderson soured their afternoon.
For Wednesday, stuck in administration and having to field a weakened team, they can only hope better days are around the corner after their administrators named a preferred bidder on Friday, with the EFL currently vetting the potential new owners.
Brentford travelled without a number of their big-name stars, but even a much-changed side was too strong for a Wednesday team made up largely of academy players.
Another of the Premier League clubs also had a comfortable afternoon as Burnley beat Millwall 5-1 at Turf Moor.
Ashley Barnes bagged a brace as the blundering Lions gifted a confident home side the most emphatic of wins.
Boss Scott Parker made eight changes to the side that started in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United and they did not disappoint, as further goals from Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony put them out of sight by half-time.
Substitute Jaydon Banel added Burnley’s fifth on the stroke of 90 minutes before the shell-shocked Lions, who had completely capitulated, netted an added-time consolation through Josh Coburn.
It was a little trickier for Fulham, though. Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe and Kevin all scored in the second half as they fought from behind to secure a 3-1 victory against Middlesbrough.
Hayden Hackney gave the second-placed Championship side a deserved lead in the opening period at Craven Cottage before substitute Wilson struck a brilliant equaliser on the hour mark.
Tommy Conway hit the crossbar for Boro moments later only to see Smith Rowe then put Fulham ahead with 13 minutes to go. Kevin put the gloss on the victory with a third for the hosts in stoppage time.
Southampton survived a scare on their way to snapping a six-game winless run with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at equally out-of-form Doncaster, but there was no place for goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu in the Saints’ squad as the Republic of Ireland international looks to be heading for the exit after they signed Daniel Peretz.
The sides’ first ever meeting in this competition offered Tonda Eckert’s stumbling Saints the ideal chance to get back to winning ways after their recent Sky Bet Championship problems.
Southampton seemed set to cruise through after Cameron Bragg, Cameron Archer and Kuryu Matsuki scored first-half goals against the side 23rd in League One, only for Doncaster to expose familiar frailties.
Grant McCann’s men, who also came into this without a win in six games, pulled back two goals through Matty Pearson and Jordan Gibson as visitors wobbled early in the second half.
However, debutant Peretz’s double save in stoppage time helped Southampton avoid embarrassment in their commemorative yellow and blue kits marking 50 years since the club’s sole FA Cup win.
Meanwhile, Jaden Philogene and Jacob Greaves scored as Ipswich beat Blackpool 2-1 to reach the fourth round along with Stoke City after Lamine Cisse scored a stunning 88th-minute winner as the 2011 FA Cup runners-up stunned Championship leaders Coventry 1-0 at the bet365 Stadium.
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Rampant Man City beat Exeter 10-1 while Gavin Bazunu nears Southampton exit
ANTOINE SEMENYO MADE a goalscoring debut as Manchester City hit double figures in a 10-1 thrashing of Exeter in the FA Cup third round.
Rodri also struck his first goal for 20 months and Rico Lewis netted twice as Pep Guardiola’s side demolished the League One outfit at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Youngster Max Alleyne began the rout with his first senior strike and there were two own goals before before Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly and 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo got on the scoresheet.
Exeter’s one bright moment was a superb late consolation strike from George Birch.
After faltering in the Premier League with three successive draws, and with a Carabao Cup semi-final to come in midweek, this was as comfortable an afternoon as City could have hoped for.
It was their biggest win since beating Huddersfield by the same scoreline in 1987. City also beat Burton by nine goals in a 9-0 victory in 2019.
Guardiola may not have been on the touchline as he served a one-match ban but it was clear from the teamsheet he meant business.
The City boss did make six changes but his line-up was a strong one with Semenyo straight in for his debut following his £62.5million move from Bournemouth and Rodri and Erling Haaland among the starters.
Elsewhere, it was not as comprehensive a victory but Brentford cruised into the fourth round of the FA Cup after easing past crisis-club Sheffield Wednesday 2-0.
The Bees are flying in the Premier League under Keith Andrews this season and will now be eyeing a cup run after goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Mathias Jensen earned them victory at Hillsborough.
The scoreline did not reflect Brentford’s total domination and it would have been far more handsome but for a heroic performance from young Owls goalkeeper Pierce Charles.
Only an injury to England international Jordan Henderson soured their afternoon.
For Wednesday, stuck in administration and having to field a weakened team, they can only hope better days are around the corner after their administrators named a preferred bidder on Friday, with the EFL currently vetting the potential new owners.
Brentford travelled without a number of their big-name stars, but even a much-changed side was too strong for a Wednesday team made up largely of academy players.
Another of the Premier League clubs also had a comfortable afternoon as Burnley beat Millwall 5-1 at Turf Moor.
Ashley Barnes bagged a brace as the blundering Lions gifted a confident home side the most emphatic of wins.
Boss Scott Parker made eight changes to the side that started in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United and they did not disappoint, as further goals from Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony put them out of sight by half-time.
Substitute Jaydon Banel added Burnley’s fifth on the stroke of 90 minutes before the shell-shocked Lions, who had completely capitulated, netted an added-time consolation through Josh Coburn.
It was a little trickier for Fulham, though. Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe and Kevin all scored in the second half as they fought from behind to secure a 3-1 victory against Middlesbrough.
Hayden Hackney gave the second-placed Championship side a deserved lead in the opening period at Craven Cottage before substitute Wilson struck a brilliant equaliser on the hour mark.
Tommy Conway hit the crossbar for Boro moments later only to see Smith Rowe then put Fulham ahead with 13 minutes to go. Kevin put the gloss on the victory with a third for the hosts in stoppage time.
Southampton survived a scare on their way to snapping a six-game winless run with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at equally out-of-form Doncaster, but there was no place for goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu in the Saints’ squad as the Republic of Ireland international looks to be heading for the exit after they signed Daniel Peretz.
The sides’ first ever meeting in this competition offered Tonda Eckert’s stumbling Saints the ideal chance to get back to winning ways after their recent Sky Bet Championship problems.
Southampton seemed set to cruise through after Cameron Bragg, Cameron Archer and Kuryu Matsuki scored first-half goals against the side 23rd in League One, only for Doncaster to expose familiar frailties.
Grant McCann’s men, who also came into this without a win in six games, pulled back two goals through Matty Pearson and Jordan Gibson as visitors wobbled early in the second half.
However, debutant Peretz’s double save in stoppage time helped Southampton avoid embarrassment in their commemorative yellow and blue kits marking 50 years since the club’s sole FA Cup win.
Meanwhile, Jaden Philogene and Jacob Greaves scored as Ipswich beat Blackpool 2-1 to reach the fourth round along with Stoke City after Lamine Cisse scored a stunning 88th-minute winner as the 2011 FA Cup runners-up stunned Championship leaders Coventry 1-0 at the bet365 Stadium.
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FA Cup wrap