Man City thrash Chelsea 4-0 in the FA Cup

Manchester City eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup as they thrashed Chelsea 4-0 at the Etihad on Sunday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s side dominated from start to finish and will now await the winners of Arsenal and Oxford in the fourth round of the competition.

Chelsea, however, have now lost five of their last seven games and this was the first time that they have been dumped out of the FA Cup in the third round in 25 years, the last being in the 1997-98 season.

Riyad Mahrez opened the scoring in the 23^rd minute with a sublime freekick beyond the reach of the helpless Kepa Arrizabalaga. Mahrez is in red hot form and this was his third goal against the visitors this season.

Minutes later Kai Havertz bizarrely punched the ball while trying to clear it in the penalty area leading to a City spot kick. Argentine World Cup winner Julian Alvarez stepped up to make to 2-0 and it already felt that the game was beyond Chelsea after the half an hour mark.

Graham Potter’s men hardly got any foothold in the game as they were outplayed in every blade of the grass by City. The home side scored yet again in the 38^th minute to make it 3-0 with Phil Foden finishing off a delightful team move.

Rodri played a long ball over to Mahrez on the right who put it into the path of Kyle Walker’s underlapping run; the right back’s low cross found Foden who expertly steered it home. Coty could have made it four just before the break but Alvarez was inches wide from Mahrez’s low cross from the right wing.

Chelsea were booed off by the fans at the away section and their performance was very much the same after the interval. Potter’s side looked pedestrian despite making changes and hardly troubled Stefan Ortega in the City goal.

The home side scored yet again in the 85^th minute after Mahrez converted City’s second penalty of the night. Kalidou Koulibaly was reckless as he brought down Foden with a needless tackle following Bernardo Silva’s brilliant reverse pass.

The away fans showed their frustration yet again at full time booing their team off. Chelsea’s terrible season continued as they sit tenth in the Premier League standings and will travel to Fulham for a London derby on Thursday.

Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images