Manchester City 4, Chelsea 0 (FA Cup 3rd Round)
Riyad Mahrez scored a brace and there were goals for Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden as Manchester City smashed Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup 3rd Round.
Player Ratings – Manchester City 4, Chelsea 0 (FA Cup 3rd Round)
Stefan Ortega: 6. Busier than Ederson usually is but didn’t face a shot in the first half. And Mason Mount’s wide shot after 55 minutes was Chelsea’s first of the game.
Kyle Walker: 7. Another step on his return to first team action. Delivered a great ball up to Julian Alvarez which he couldn’t fully control.
Manuel Akanji: 7. Good interceptions and blocks. Bravely blocked a late shot when it looked like Chelsea would have get to pull a goal back.
Aymeric Laporte: 7. Kept busy in the first half, good passing range too.
Sergio Gomez: 7. Did well on a rare start but brought down Hakim Ziyech and could have been penalised – had a decent battle with him.
Rodri: 7. Went down early after a clash with Kai Havertz but carried on – vital to City disrupting the Chelsea midfield and his vision released Riyad Mahrez for City’s third goal. Subbed off after he was booked for a foul on Mason Mount.
Cole Palmer – 6. Playing on the left – not his favoured side. Still provided threat going forward, hit the side netting, and pressed Chelsea.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Helped out with stifling Chelsea in midfield. Tripped by Kalidou Koulibaly on the edge of the Chelsea area. Through ball set up Phil Foden for a run on goal before he was brought down for a penalty which Ryad Mahrez converted.
Riyad Mahrez: 9. Made life difficult for Lewis Hall and won the free kick which he put away himself, also worked to win the ball back too and had a shot go narrowly wide in the second half. Let Julian Alvarez have a penalty earlier in the game before putting his own spot kick away to raise his personal tally against Chelsea to 4 in 3 games this season.
Phil Foden: 8. Occupied a deeper role in midfield and finished a superb City move with a first half tap-in, was brought down late on for a penalty when clean through as City looked for a fourth.
Julian Alvarez: 8. Pressed high and with energy. Squeezed a fine penalty past Kepa Arrizabalaga despite attempts by the Spaniard to psyche him out. Miskicked when a second goal was on the cards.
Kalvin Phillips (on for Rodri, 58): 6. Good run out.
Joao Cancelo (on for Sergio Gomez, 59): 6. Back in a more familiar role.
Rico Lewis (on for Bernardo Silva, 86): No time to mark.
GOALS – Manchester City 4, Chelsea 0 (FA Cup 3rd Round)
Man City 1, Chelsea 0: 23. Riyad Mahrez won a free kick off Lewis Hall and curled it in himself inside the near post top bins.
Man City 2, Chelsea 0: 30. Julian Alvarez squeezed a spot kick past Kepa Arrizabalaga after a VAR check showed that Kai Havertz had handled an earlier City corner.
Man City 3, Chelsea 0: 38. Phil Foden had a tap in after Riyad Mahrez brought down Rodri’s cross field switch, and fed Kyle Walker who cut the ball back for the England man.
Man City 4, Chelsea 0: 85. Riyad Mahrez stepped up and rifled a spot kick into the roof of the net after Phil Foden had been fouled as he ran onto Bernardo Silva’s through ball.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 4, Chelsea 0 (FA Cup 3rd Round)
Man City: Ortega, Walker (C), Akanji, Laporte, Gomez (Cancelo 59), Rodri (Phillips 58), Palmer, Bernardo Silva (Lewis 86), Mahrez, Foden, Alvarez
Man City Subs not used: Ederson, Stones, Ake, Gundogan, Haaland, De Bruyne
Booked: Rodri 54 (foul on Mason Mount); Bernardo Silva 70 (foul on Conor Gallagher); Cancelo 87 (foul on Trevoh Chalobah)
Goals: Mahrez 23, 85 pen; Alvarez 30 pen; Foden 38
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Humphreys, Koulibaly, Chalobah, Hall, Kovacic (Zakaria 46), Jorginho (C) (Hutchinson 63), Mount (Chukwuemeka 73), Ziyech (Azpilicueta 63), Gallagher, Havertz (Fofana 46)
Chelsea Subs not used: Bettinelli, Badiashile, Silva, Cucurella
Booked: Gallagher 63 (foul on Joao Cancelo)
Referee: Robert Jones