Image Source: William Russell
Key Takeaways
- Manchester City crushed Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup with a club record equalling victory at the Etihad Stadium.
- Antoine Semenyo had a impressive debut, scoring a goal and proving himself to be a valuable addition to the team.
- Max Alleyne, a young centre back, impressed with his performance and is worthy of minutes against Newcastle.
- The confidence of a big win is invaluable, and the team will look to continue this momentum into their upcoming games against Newcastle and Manchester United.
Introduction to the Match
Manchester City made a statement in the third round of the FA Cup, crushing Exeter City with a club record equalling victory at the Etihad Stadium. The Blues were 4-0 up at the break, thanks to goals from Max Alleyne, Rodri, and own goals from Exeter defenders Jake Doyle-Hayes and Jack Fitzwater. As Pep Lijnders led the team in the absence of Pep Guardiola, who was serving a one-match touchline ban, City turned it up another notch in the second half, scoring six more goals to give them a commanding lead over the sorry Exeter side.
Semenyo’s Impressive Debut
As the article states, "Semenyo will be a good signing" for Manchester City. The 26-year-old Ghanaian midfielder proved himself to be a valuable addition to the team, scoring a goal and impressing with his work rate and off-ball runs. According to the article, "Off the ball, he’s the best attacker at the club. He works hard, and is capable of breaking up the play, and going forward he makes excellent off ball runs that creative players such as Rodri, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden will thrive on." Semenyo’s goal came from a lovely Cherki through ball, and a clinical finish off the back of a strong run in behind that none of City’s other wide forwards tend to offer.
Alleyne’s Performance
Another player who impressed against Exeter was young centre back Max Alleyne. The City academy graduate has been a complete revelation since he was recalled from loan less than a week ago, and was substituted off early seemingly with the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg in mind next week. As the article notes, "Alleyne, who spent the first half of this season at Watford, is extremely comfortable with the ball and has been impressive defensively too, forming a good understanding with Abdukodir Khusanov at centre back." With Marc Guehi seemingly not all that keen on moving to City with offers from Arsenal and Liverpool on the table this summer, Alleyne is set to play an important role in the rest of the season, and that should continue with a start against the Magpies on Tuesday night.
The Confidence Boost
The article highlights the importance of the confidence boost that comes with a big win, stating "Many expected City to put Exeter to the sword, but surely no-one predicted that City would score double figures." The team was utterly ruthless, finishing off the vast majority of their chances and continuing to push late when the visitors’ heads dropped. As the article notes, "Lewis, Semenyo and Alleyne were excellent, as mentioned previously, but they weren’t the only ones. Cherki, Rodri and Reijnders dominated the midfield, whilst McAidoo looked very promising on the right hand side." This confidence will be invaluable as the team looks to continue this momentum into their upcoming games against Newcastle and Manchester United.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Manchester City’s crushing victory over Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup was a statement win for the team. With impressive performances from Semenyo, Alleyne, and others, the team will look to continue this momentum into their upcoming games. As the article states, "These players will have their confidence boosted after three poor results in a row prior to the game, and will look to continue this into the two huge upcoming away games against Newcastle and Manchester United." With the team’s confidence boosted, they will be looking to make a strong push for the title in the coming weeks.
https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com/manchester-city-fa-cup/36542/three-things-we-learned-manchester-city-10-1-exeter-city
