Manchester City defeated Chelsea for the second time in four days with a 4-0 win in the third round of the FA Cup to pile the pressure on Blues manager Graham Potter.
City were three up at half-time thanks to Riyad Mahrez’s magnificent free-kick, Julian Alvarez’s penalty and Phil Foden’s tremendous team goal. Mahrez added his second and City’s fourth from the spot late on to further underline the gulf between the two teams.
Pep Guardiola’s team can look forward to a tie at home to Arsenal if the Premier League leaders overcome Oxford United on Monday evening. As for Chelsea, it is the first time this century that the Blues find themselves not among the clubs in the fourth round.
The result adds to the pressure on Potter, who was only appointed in September. Chelsea have now lost six of their last nine matches in all competitions and have not tasted victory away from home since beating Red Bull Salzburg in October.
How Man City blew Chelsea away
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After some Chelsea fans could be heard venting their frustration towards Graham Potter by singing Thomas Tuchel chants at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola has insisted Todd Boehly should give the Chelsea manager time
It was Mahrez who scored the only goal of the game when these teams met in the Premier League on Thursday and he broke the deadlock again here. His curling free-kick from the right edge of the box arrowed into the top corner beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga’s dive.
If Chelsea could do little to stop that, the second was self-inflicted. Kai Havertz led with his hand when trying to clear a corner at the near post and the VAR could not miss it. Alvarez, starting for the first time since his World Cup win with Argentina, just about beat Kepa.
City had dropped points against Brentford and Everton in their last two Premier League games in front of their home supporters but they did not go two up then. With that advantage, the confidence grew and Guardiola’s side really started to purr.
What a goal their third of the first half was. Kyle Walker’s trickery got them moving, Foden and Rodri trading flicks, Mahrez found Walker’s overlapping run and there was Foden from close range to tap in. It was a goal typical of this City side at their absolute best.
Though the pace dropped thereafter, another good move brought the fourth goal when Kalidou Koulibaly clumsily bundled Foden to the ground and the referee had little choice but to point to the spot. Mahrez did the rest, lashing the ball high into the net.
There might even be an argument that City look more fluid with Alvarez making these unselfish runs up front than Erling Haaland, the team’s prolific striker, stood there banging them in himself. Either way, it is the sort of problem that Potter would love to have.
Throughout the second half, sections of the 8,000-strong travelling support chanted the name of his predecessor Thomas Tuchel, having earlier sang the name of the now departed owner Roman Abramovich. All is not well at Chelsea. The Man City machine rolls on.
Player of the match: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez scores Manchester City’s fourth goal from the penalty spot
Chelsea will be sick of the sight of Mahrez but Guardiola will be grateful for the games against them because they have been critical in reigniting the winger’s season. His goal against them in the Carabao Cup in November now looks to have been a turning point.
The City boss had been critical of Mahrez’s form earlier in the season – and he defended that assessment of the player’s contribution even when praising him after the game.
“He was not the same. I was completely fair. He was not playing at the level he is playing right now. Sometimes I have to let them see the mirror of who they are. It is not about the quality, you have to do more in football.
“But since the World Cup he is playing really well. A fantastic free-kick and he played an outstanding game, playing wider, playing narrow. A good game.”
Guardiola: ‘Incredible hunger’
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hails his side’s hunger and intensity after they beat eight time FA Cup winner’s Chelsea, knocking Graham Potter’s side out of the tournament
“We made an incredibly intense game against a top side. Next round of the FA Cup. Happy to still be in there.
“I have a feeling that we have incredible human beings and players. When we have this incredible hunger, we don’t give them time to think about it. They did not have time. When that happens it is because we are alive.
“As a manager, you realise something is dropping when these actions we are not doing. It is easy for me as manager because I can show them the clips and say, ‘This is what you need to be doing.’ This is what we need to do.”
Potter: ‘First half was painful’
Graham Potter’s Chelsea are out of the FA Cup after a heavy defeat at Manchester City
“I thought we were second best to a very, very good side. Obviously, we are not in a great moment ourselves and even though it was a cagey first 20 minutes we couldn’t attack the backline well enough, we couldn’t attack as well as we would like. I think Manchester City do really well in terms of stopping you doing that. At the same time, we struggled.
“It was a fantastic first goal in terms of a strike from a free-kick, and a strange penalty and you are caught in a position where it is 2-0 and you have to chase the ball against Manchester City. You are caught between trying to commit more men and not getting opened up.
“So the first half was painful and tough for us all. Second half, we had to respond and I thought there were some positives there in terms of the young players. I thought they gave everything and showed their quality but we are disappointed we went out of the competition. Congratulations to Man City. They deserved to win, of course.”
What’s next?
Manchester City’s next game is at Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports – kick-off 8pm.
Wednesday 11th January 7:30pm
Kick off 8:00pm
Pep Guardiola’s side then travel to neighbours Manchester United for a Premier League clash on Saturday – kick-off 12.30pm.
Chelsea’s next fixture is away to west London rivals Fulham in the Premier League on Thursday – kick-off 8pm.
The Blues then host Crystal Palace in another top-flight clash on Sunday – kick-off 2pm.
