MAN CITY 7, ROTHERHAM UNITED 0
You could not fault Manchester City’s professionalism as they ruthlessly disposed of Championship club Rotherham United at the Etihad in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.
They were in heaven as they scored seven goals without reply after a terrific display against the Millers who are battling for survival if football’s second tier.
And the goals were even evenly distributed between Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi, Leroy Sane and a Semi Ajayi own goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere was praise from City manager Pep Guardiola who said: “We took it seriously. We had to do our job which we did amazingly.
“We had eight or nine new players and fresh legs. They saw what their mates did on Thursday (league win against Liverpool) and everyone did well from Kyle (Walker) to Kevin De Bruyne.”
Rotherham manager Paul Warne admitted he was pleased to hear the final whistle.
He said: “Premier League teams come here and get a good licking and my players should not be embarrassed.
“It was a joy to bring my players here and if they can learn from how good Manchester City were and improve one or two per cent going forward it won’t be a wasted experience.”
Warne added: “If we could have got to half time at 1-0, I would have been pleased, but the two goals late in the half killed the game.
“It was damage limitation and the gulf in class was there for everyone to see.”
Warne added he told his right-back Zak Vyner to smile when City took off Sterling and replaced him with Sane.
City made eight changes from the side that started against Liverpool, Ederson, John Stones and Sterling the three survivors.
It was still a side packed with experience – 10 senior internationals plus England under-21’s Phil Foden – while Leroy Sane, Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva were among the substitutes.
The only senior players not involved were Sergio Aguero, David Silva and the injured Vincent Kompany.
It looked as though it was going to be a long afternoon for Rotherham after Gabriel Jesus headed against the crossbar little more than 60 seconds into the game.
And not long after Sterling shot wide under pressure from Ajayi and Mahrez had an effort deflected for a corner.
Rotherham held out until the 12th minute when Sterling broke the deadlock. He played a return pass with De Bruyne before firing home from eight yards, his 11th goal of the season.
There was a lengthy stoppage after an assistant referee came off injured as he was replaced by fourth official Paul Marsden. The delay was caused by the official having to be wired up so he could communicate with referee David Coote.
Rotherham had their first clear-cut chance when keeper Ederson was dispossessed by Anthony Forde trying to dribble the ball out of defence, but Stones saved the day with a timely clearance.
City added a second goal in the 43rd minute when Foden scored his first-ever goal at the Eithad in his first-ever FA Cup tie.
Ilkay Gundogan lofted the ball over the defence and Foden scored a scruffy goal as the ball came off his boot and deflected off his knee as it trickled past keeper Marek Rodak.
City added a third goal in stoppage time when Walker’s cross was put through his own goal by Ajayi who, sliding in with Sterling behind him, deflected the ball into the roof of the net.
Rodak was called into action soon after the restart to turn away a cross-cum shot from De Bruyne.
City added a fourth goal in the 53rd minute through Jesus.
Sterling roasted right-back Zak Vyner and squared the ball for Jesus to score with a simple tap in.
City made their first change in the 57th minute. If the Millers were glad to see the back of Sterling, his replacement was German international Sane.
Rodak turned over a shot from Gundogan before Guardiola made a second change when De Bruyne was replaced by debutant Philippe Sandler.
The 21-year-old central defender, signed from Dutch club PEC Zwolle for £2.3million in the summer, was used as a holding midfielder.
Rotherham almost scored a second own goal when Vyner deflected a Sane corner towards his own net, but the ball was clawed away by Rodak.
City found the net for a fifth time in the 73rd minute when Mahrez played a return pass with Gundogan before firing home a low shot from 12 yards.
Guardiola’s third and final substitution saw Stones replaced by Danilo.
Rodak beat out a drive from Kyle Walker but could do nothing to keep out City’s sixth goal from Otamendi with 12 minutes left.
Gundogan’s corner was met by the Argentine centre half who found the net with a bullet header from seven yards into the roof of the net.
City were in seventh heaven in the 85th minute when Sane found the net with the aid of a marked deflection past Rodak with Gundogan providing a fourth assist of the match.
Rotherham had their first on target attempt in the 88th minute when Michael Smith’s shot was turned over by Ederson.
It was as though referee Mr Coote wanted to spare Rotherham further suffering when he blew the final whistle after exactly 90 minutes.
Bearing in mind there were four goals and six substitutions in the second period, you would have imagined there would have been a number of additional minutes to play.