January 08, (THEWILL) – Manchester City advanced to the FA Cup fourth round with a straightforward 4-1 win against a spirited Swindon Town on Friday evening.
Pep Guardiola’s intense fixation with cup tournaments was evident straight away, with Cole Palmer being the only academy player in a side consisting of proven international stars.
Bernardo Silva missed the game’s opening chance after guiding his shot over the crossbar after only five minutes, but he made no mistake 10 minutes later when he tapped home following a wonderful cross from the same Palmer.
Swindon’s attempt to play out from the back was admirable, but some careless passing allowed Gabriel Jesus to score a simple second just before the half-hour mark.
The first half finished with a thunderbolt from Joao Cancelo that was so close to being 3-0 that the ITV team covering the game changed the score to 3-0, but City had to settle for a two-goal lead at halftime.
Ilkay Gundogan curled a free kick past the Swindon wall to beat the goalie in the bottom corner 15 minutes after the restart for the third goal for City.
By the time Guardiola’s side were awarded a penalty, the game had hardly resumed from the third goal, but Jesus’ weak penalty kick was brilliantly saved by Lewis Ward in the Swindon goal.
The hosts refused to lie down and were clearly eager to make the most of this opportunity. Fortunately, 12 minutes from time, they got the goal their ambition merited. Harry McKirdy showed great poise as he rifled past Zack Steffen, giving the home crowd something to cheer about.
To put an end to any enthusiastic sentiments for a comeback, Palmer scored a fourth goal shortly after, a magnificent strike that arrowed into the top corner.
Rodri came close to adding a fifth goal late on, but Ward’s hands brilliantly saved his screamer from range, ensuring City had to settle for four goals, which were more than enough to go into the fourth round.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
