Man City 7-0 Rotherham in FA Cup third round: Phil Foden with first Etihad goal

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Highlights: Manchester City 7-0 Rotherham United

Phil Foden is going to stay at Manchester City for "many, many years" and will not be going out on loan, says manager Pep Guardiola.

The 18-year-old midfielder scored his first goal at Etihad Stadium as a strong City side moved into Monday's FA Cup fourth-round draw with a crushing 7-0 win over Rotherham United.

Asked after the game if Foden would go out on loan to get more game time, Guardiola said: "Phil Foden loan? No way. No way. Impossible. He is going to stay with us for many, many years. Impossible."

Midfielder Foden, 18, made it 2-0 from the edge of the six-yard box after Raheem Sterling had opened the scoring from Kevin de Bruyne's pass.

Rotherham, 21st in the Championship, found it tough going and an own goal by Semi Ajayi made it 3-0 before half-time.

Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane also scored.

It was another powerful attacking performance by Guardiola's defending Premier League champions.

The visitors did force goalkeeper Ederson into a fine save to deny Michael Smith in the closing stages but Rotherham remain without a win in the FA Cup since November 2013.

It is the first time City have scored seven in an FA Cup tie since 1968.

Guardiola and City means business in the FA Cup

City have won the Premier League three times since they last lifted the FA Cup in 2011.

It is the only domestic cup to elude Guardiola, with City being beaten by Arsenal in the semi-finals in 2017, followed by last season's surprise fifth-round exit at Wigan, then in League One.

And the Spaniard took no chances against Rotherham.

Despite making eight changes, he named a side including De Bruyne as captain and Jesus, Sterling and Mahrez in attack.

Ilkay Gundogan also started and the German midfielder finished the game with four assists.

Alarm bells were ringing in the Rotherham defence as early as the second minute when Jesus headed against the bar and it was not long before Sterling opened the scoring after gliding past a defender.

Rotherham looked like they would go in at the interval still in the tie - before two goals in three minutes at the end of the half took the match beyond them.

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Manchester City (Sterling) 1-0 Rotherham United

Foden, a boyhood City fan, celebrated his first home goal after Gundogan's delicious pass bounced off the teenager's knee and rolled over the line.

Moments later it was 3-0 as Ajayi sliced into his own net while trying to stop Sterling from reaching Kyle Walker's pass.

There was no respite for the Millers after the break.

Once Jesus made it 4-0 from close range after Sterling's pass, Guardiola sent on Germany international Sane.

Mahrez added the next after a one-two with Gundogan, who then provided the corner for Otamendi to head home the sixth.

But City were still not done and Sane added the seventh five minutes from time after another assist by Gundogan.

The final whistle came as a relief for Rotherham, who are left to concentrate on staying in the Championship and face a huge game at bottom club Ipswich on Saturday.

After the final whistle, Millers boss Paul Warne headed over to Rotherham's 6,000 travelling fans who made the journey to Etihad Stadium.

Image source, Getty Images
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Nicolas Otamendi scored his first Manchester City goal since netting the winner in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on 10 December 2017

'We did the job amazingly again' - what the managers said

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "We are going to try and do well in every competition we play in. You need to do your job and we will see what we do.

"Wigan brought us out of this competition last season and we spoke about that. We had eight or nine players today who didn't play last Thursday and they were fresh.

"We took it seriously, we do what we have to do to become a great, great club. The great clubs don't choose competitions or choose games so every game you have to do your job and we did it amazingly again."

On Phil Foden scoring his first home goal for City: "He's a young player and has to improve.

"He missed some simple passes and he needs to be solid but he is young. When he attacks the central defenders he is incredible."

Rotherham manager Paul Warne: "It was a difficult day but we were playing against a world-class team. I don't think we embarrassed ourselves.

"We're not the only team to come here and get a good licking. At 1-0 we had a good little passage.

"It was definitely an educational curve for the lads. If they learn from it then it's not a wasted day."

On whether he spoke to Guardiola: "Not really. I spoke to him beforehand briefly and said "be gentle" on the side of the pitch and then after I just shook is hand and said 'look, your team is a joy to watch'.

"A joy is a stretch - a pain to watch would have been more accurate, but that was it - I just shook his hand and in fairness I appreciate the respect he showed our team by putting out such a strong one."

Rotherham's heaviest FA Cup defeat - the stats

  • This was Rotherham's heaviest defeat in the FA Cup, overtaking their 6-0 loss to Brighton in February 1960.

  • After scoring and assisting on Sunday, Raheem Sterling has now been directly involved in 101 goals in 167 appearances for City since joining in 2015, scoring 55 and assisting 46.

  • Aged 18 years 223 days, Phil Foden is the youngest player to score in the FA Cup for City since Rony Lopes netted aged 17 years and eight days against Watford in January 2013.

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