MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Rico Lewis announced himself as Manchester City's newest star with a scintillating display that helped demolish Exeter City 10-1 in a breathtaking FA Cup encounter at the Etihad Stadium. The young defender turned attacking catalyst scored twice and provided an assist as Pep Guardiola's side produced one of the most emphatic cup victories in recent memory.
The rout began early when Max Alleyne opened the scoring in the 12th minute, slotting home from the centre of the box following a precisely delivered corner. The floodgates truly burst open when Rodri thundered a right-footed effort from outside the box into the bottom left corner in the 24th minute, showcasing the technical brilliance that would define City's performance throughout the evening.
Manchester City dominated possession with a staggering 72% control, systematically pinning Exeter City back for long stretches and creating relentless waves of attacking pressure. The visitors, to their credit, attempted to play constructive football but were comprehensively overwhelmed by the superior quality and ruthless intensity of their Premier League opponents. City launched an astonishing 21 shots at goal compared to Exeter City's meager 7, with 10 of those efforts finding the target as they carved through the League One side's defense with surgical precision.
The first-half crescendo arrived with two unfortunate own goals in quick succession. Jake Doyle-Hayes deflected the ball into his own net in the 42nd minute, before Jack Fitzwater added another devastating contribution in the second minute of stoppage time. At 4-0, the contest was effectively decided, but City showed absolutely no mercy in the second period.
Lewis grabbed his first goal just four minutes after the restart, converting from very close range after Antoine Semenyo's perfectly weighted cross found him impeccably positioned. The young defender's intelligent movement and clinical finishing ability caught the eye of everyone present, demonstrating precisely why Guardiola has such unwavering faith in the academy graduate.
Semenyo added his name to the scoresheet in the 54th minute with a clinical right-footed finish from the centre of the box, assisted by Rayan Cherki's sublime through ball. The goals continued to flow as Tijjani Reijnders curled home a breathtaking effort from outside the box in the 71st minute, before Lewis completed his header from close range following another precisely delivered corner in the 79th minute.
Ryan McAidoo joined the goal-scoring party with a left-footed strike from outside the box in the 86th minute, assisted by Divine Mukasa, before Lewis capped his memorable evening with his second goal in the 91st minute. The defender's right-footed shot from the centre of the box found the top right corner with the help of Jérémy Doku's perfectly weighted assist, completing a performance that will be etched in Manchester City folklore.
Exeter City's consolation came through George Birch's spectacular left-footed effort from outside the box in the 90th minute, a strike of such quality that it deserved to be the winner in any other match. The goal provided a momentary glimpse of pride for the traveling supporters who had witnessed their team's brave but ultimately futile effort against overwhelmingly superior opposition.
The statistical dominance told the complete story of City's comprehensive superiority. Beyond the possession and shot statistics, City won 7 corners to Exeter's 3 and committed fewer fouls despite their relentless attacking approach. Joe Whitworth in the Exeter goal made several exceptional saves to prevent an even more embarrassing scoreline, while his City counterpart remained largely untested throughout the 90 minutes.
Guardiola strategically used the opportunity to provide valuable minutes to several promising young players, with tactical substitutions bringing fresh energy and maintaining the team's intense performance levels. The match showcased the incredible depth within City's squad and the seamless integration between established stars and emerging academy talents.
Looking ahead, Manchester City will travel to face Manchester United on January 17 in what promises to be a significantly more challenging test than this comfortable cup victory.