Manchester City beat Chelsea in FA Cup

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Different competition, same result. Manchester City beat Chelsea for the second time in less than three days, on this occasion in the FA Cup.

And this time it was a 4-0 thrashing, without even needing Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne.

City’s two best players were rested after Thursday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League, but they weren’t particularly missed, with Riyad Mahrez, Julián Álvarez and Phil Foden scoring goals in the first half and Mahrez late added a goal. in a third round cruise.

City’s next step in the world’s oldest knockout competition is a rival who is arguably the biggest threat to their defense of the Premier League title. Arsenal, who lead second-placed City by five points in the league, will move into the fourth round at the Etihad Stadium if they beat Oxford United in the third tier on Monday.

Mahrez scored the only goal in the teams’ league game at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. While that was a tap, this one in the Cup was a curling shot from a direct free kick that sailed into the top corner in the 23rd minute.

Álvarez, making his first start for City since winning the World Cup with Argentina, converted a 30th-minute penalty after Chelsea striker Kai Havertz bizarrely chose to lead with his left arm as he attempted a header from a corner kick and only managed to hit the ball. ball clear to award a penalty kick.

Foden scored three goals in the space of 15 minutes at the Etihad as he led home a close-range finish at the end of a fluid team move involving Rodri, Mahrez and then Kyle Walker, who sprinted onto the field to score a to deliver a pass. for Ford.

Mahrez scored his second from the penalty spot in the 85th after Foden was bundled in by Kalidou Koulibaly.

Trouble mounts for Chelsea manager Graham Potter, whose injury-stricken team are 10th in the Premier League and already out of both cups – having already lost to City in the League Cup in November.

City are still in the hunt for trophies in all four leagues, facing Southampton in the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday.

VILLA SHOCKED

Aston Villa conceded twice from the 88th minute and were beaten 2–1 at home by fourth division side Stevenage in what was probably the biggest upset of the third round.

Ahead thanks to Morgan Sanson’s goal in the 33rd minute, Villa were reduced to 10 men when Leander Dendoncker was shown a red card in the 85th for a professional foul that earned Stevenage a penalty.

That was converted and the visitors, who are second in League Two, picked up an unlikely winner in the 90th.

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