In a night of shattered records, Manchester City F.C. decimated third-division side Exeter City with a staggering 10-1 victory in the FA Cup third round on Saturday (January 11).
The result marks the first time a team managed by Pep Guardiola has scored 10 goals in a competitive match and stands as City’s most dominant FA Cup performance in 92 years.
A Historic Scoring Spree City’s nine-goal margin of victory is their third-largest in FA Cup history. Interestingly, Pep Guardiola was forced to watch this historic feat from the stands.
The Spaniard was serving a one-match touchline ban after receiving his third domestic yellow card of the season during a recent clash against Brighton.
With this result, City became the first English top-flight club to score 10 or more goals in a single match across all competitions since Liverpool thrashed Fulham 10-0 in the League Cup in 1986. Within the FA Cup specifically, this is the highest-scoring performance since 1960, when Tottenham Hotspur defeated Crewe 13-2.
Statistically Dominant While a late consolation goal from Exeter prevented City from breaking their all-time FA Cup winning margin record, the club equaled a feat not seen since the 1932-33 season.
Manchester City's biggest FA Cup win
- 2025-26, third round: Exeter City 1-10 Manchester City
- 1932-33, third round replay: Gateshead 0-9 Manchester City
- 1929-30, third round replay: Manchester City 10-1 Swindon Town
This victory also extends City’s remarkable streak of winning 11 consecutive FA Cup third-round matches by a margin of three or more goals—a run dating back to the 2014-15 season.
Key Individual Highlights
- Antoine Semenyo: Enjoyed a memorable Etihad debut, scoring once and inadvertently assisting Rodri. Semenyo has now recorded both a goal and an assist in three separate matches this season, the highest among Premier League players.
- Youth Impact: The scoresheet featured 18 different goalscorers for City this season across all competitions, including youngsters Ryan McAidoo and Max Alleyne. McAidoo’s goal on his debut was a particular highlight.
- Self-Inflicted Damage: Exeter’s defense struggled early, conceding two own goals within a five-minute span in the first half.
- The Haaland Factor: Despite the double-digit scoreline, star striker Erling Haaland remarkably did not find the net during the match.
