Manchester City progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Tuesday night courtesy of a 3-0 win over Bristol City.
While the Robins had some threatening moments, it was a relatively comfortable victory for the Blues, who secured the win thanks to a Phil Foden brace, before Kevin De Bruyne added a late screamer.
The visitors started the game well, with Kalivin Phillips coming close to grabbing his first City goal after just two minutes when his shot from outside the area crashed off the crossbar. And soon after, Pep Guardiola’s side took the lead as an intricate move at the edge of the box ended with Riyad Mahrez squaring the ball at the back post for Foden to tap in.
But Bristol City did offer a threat, with Sam Bell seeing an effort deflect wide and Alex Scott’s shot forcing Stefan Ortega into action, before the hosts had two penalty appeals turned down by referee Andre Marriner.
Yet City took control after that flurry of chances from the Robins and Mahrez’s shot was soon headed wide, while De Bruyne and Ruben Dias both had two dangerous chances apiece, although neither doubled City’s lead before the break.
The second half was a quieter affair with it taking until the 65th minute for a major chance to present itself, when Julian Alvarez’s shot was held. Bristol City did push for a way back into the game but any hopes of a late comeback were all but put to bed when the Premier League champions netted a second. Again, the opportunity came after a free-flowing passing sequence which culminated in a Foden shot, although this time it deflected in off Zak Vyner.
With nine minutes remaining, Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 when he took advantage of the abundant space in the middle of the Ashton Park pitch, and smashed a shot past Max O’Leary in the home goal from around 30 yards out.
Jack Grealish and Alvarez also created late openings in a quiet end to the game. Here’s how we rated the players...
1. Stefan Ortega- 6 (off 46)
Picked up a knock and was replaced at the break. The goalkeeper kept out Scott’s shot in a rare save.
2. Rico Lewis- 7
Moved inside and saw a lot of the ball. Lewis contributed to City’s dominance on the ball.
3. Manuel Akanji- 6
Solid yet unspectacular from the defender who dealt with most of the challenges thrown his way without much of a fuss.
4. Ruben Dias- 8
Enjoyed his physical battle against Nahki Wells. Dias was solid in possession and dominant at the back.