Manchester City have reached the fourth round of the FA Cup in emphatic fashion courtesy of a 7-0 thrashing over Championship side Rotherham United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The Premier League champions took the lead after only 12 minutes when Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock, but it took until the end of the first half for the floodgates to really open.
A Phil Foden finish and Semi Ajayi own goal in quick succession right on the stroke of half time saw the floodgates open after the break, though, with Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane all getting in on the act in the second half.
Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus linked up within two minutes to come within inches of breaking the deadlock when De Bruyne’s cross into the box was met by Jesus, who clipped the top of the crossbar with his header when he should have done better from close range.
That was only the first of a flurry of chances for the home side in the opening exchanges as they sliced the Rotherham defence open almost every time they came forward, and Sterling – one of only three players to keep their place in the team – sent the ball flashing wide moments later after Semi Ajayi’s last-ditch challenge had rebounded off his shin.
An early goal seemed inevitable and it arrived in the 12th minute when De Bruyne slid a pass into the box for Sterling, who danced past Ajayi before curling his finish into the bottom corner.
At that stage it looked as though it might be damage limitation mode for Rotherham already, but the visitors responded well and Ajayi saw one shot deflect wide before Clark Robertson nodded over from the resulting corner.
Rotherham will have been content with their first-half performance after falling behind, though, and it looked as though they might make it to the interval with only a one-goal deficit until Man City doubled their lead one minute before the break.
Ilkay Gundogan clipped a pinpoint pass into the area for Foden, who took the ball down but then saw it bounce against his knee and squirm past the keeper for a muddled finish.
City made it two goals in quick succession at the end of the first half and again there was a hint of fortune about it as Ajayi could only turn Kyle Walker’s low cross into his own net when trying to deny Sterling a simple finish.
It could have been even worse for the Championship strugglers when City came pouring forward again before half time, but this time Sterling sliced his finish after the visitors had given the ball away inside their own half.
The late salvo made a previously competitive Rotherham grateful to hear the half-time whistle, but Man City quickly picked up where they left off upon the restart and Rodak turned an early De Bruyne effort wide in the second half.
A fourth goal arrived just eight minutes after the break when Sterling turned provider, showing electric pace down the left wing before playing a low pass into the box which left Jesus with a simple finish into an empty net.
It was one-way traffic from that point on as Rotherham simply tried to avoid a heavier drubbing, and Mahrez fired one effort over before Jesus drew another save from Rodak after good footwork in the area.
It took a smart reaction save from the keeper to deny a second own goal when he clawed Will Vaulks’s sliced clearance off the line, but City’s fifth followed soon after as Mahrez swept home his finish after a slick one-two with Gundogan.
The floodgates had well and truly opened by that stage, and Walker stung the palms of Rodak with a powerful long-range strike before City made it six through Otamendi, who rose highest to plant his header into the corner.
That goal left Rotherham staring down the barrel of their heaviest ever defeat in the competition – which before today was 6-0 – and Sane confirmed that unwanted record five minutes from time when his right-footed strike from outside the area took a big deflection on its way past the keeper.