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⚽ FA CUP
Man City 4 Chelsea 0
TODAY
Oxford United vs Arsenal
Manchester, UK | THE INDEPENDENT | Manchester City ensured progress through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup – and a clash with either Oxford or Arsenal – after seeing off Chelsea 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium. Riyad Mahrez (2), Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden sent Manchester City through to the next stage of the competition.
Mahrez opened the scoring on 23 minutes with a 25-yard free-kick he won himself before World Cup winner Alvarez doubled the lead from the penalty spot on 30 minutes as he drilled it low and left past Kepa.
City scored a majestic team goal on 38 minutes that had the Etihad in raptures.
Rodri floated an inch-perfect ball into Mahrez on the right, who fed the onrushing Kyle Walker. Manchester City skipper for the day then centred for Foden who made no mistake with a clinical finish.
Mahrez completed the scoring on 84 minutes after firing home from the spot, after Foden had been upended.
WHAT HAPPENED
There was a feeling of deja-vu in the air for this FA Cup Third Round encounter as Manchester City faced Chelsea once again after meeting them in their last Premier League game as well as being opponents at the same stage of the Carabao Cup.
Manchester City won both of those encounters – and it was a third victory this afternoon as they defeated them once again.
The foundation of the win was very much built on an imperious opening 45 minutes, which saw Manchester City go in 3-0 at the break.
The first chance of the game came on 19 minutes and it was starlet forward Cole Palmer who had it. He fired wide of goal after being played in wonderfully by Aymeric Laporte.
It wasn’t long, though, before City opened the scoring and it was the in-form Mahrez who scored it.
He earned a free-kick 25 yards out and then picked himself up to fire home beautifully into the top right hand corner on 23 minutes, giving Kepa absolutely no chance.
VAR was called into action just before the hour mark as the video referee checked what looked to be a Kai Havertz handball in the box.
Robert Jones pointed to the spot and Alvarez, fresh from his win in Qatar 2022, despatched it into the bottom left hand corner to double our advantage.
Pep Guardiola’s team then really started clicking through the proverbial gears with some delightful and inspiring football.
If the first two goals were impressive, they saved the best for next with a sumptuous team goal to make it 3-0 on 38 minutes.
Rodri floated a ball into Mahrez on the right who clipped it into the path of an onrushing Kyle Walker, who, in turn, centred to Foden to fire confidentially home.
It could actually have been four at the break with Alvarez just unable to reach a fine ball into the box from the left as he stretched to connect.
Chelsea rung the changes as the second half resumed with Denis Zakaria and David Fofana entering the action in place of Havertz and Mateo Kovacic.
Mason Mount called Stefan Ortega Moreno into action on 55 minutes as he expertly tipped the forward’s shot wide of his right hand post.
Guardiola made changes on 58 minutes as Kalvin Phillips and Joao Cancelo replaced Rodri and Sergio Gomez – followed swiftly by Graham Potter bringing on Cesar Azpilicueta and Omari Hutchinson for Jorginho and Hakim Ziyech on 62 minutes.
What followed was a quieter spell of action as City probed for another opening.
Mahrez thought he’s scored his second as his shot just flashed past the post on 73 minutes.
Carney Chukwuemeka was introduced for Mount on 73 minutes as the Blues looked to inject freshness into their side.
Foden earned us a penalty on 84 minutes after being bundled over by Kalidou Koulibaly – and Mahrez made no mistake with the resulting spot-kick.
That ended the scoring but there were big cheers as the final whistle blew after our supporters hailed another top display.
*****
SOURCE: MANCITY.COM
