Midfielder Phil Foden scored twice to help Man City beat Huddersfield Town 5-0 to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne played his second consecutive game, coming off the bench, and this time he had a hand in the goal. In the 74th minute, he received an overlapping pass from the right wing, raced down the touchline and chipped the ball high for compatriot Jeremy Doku to volley home from about 10 metres to seal a 5-0 victory for the hosts. It was De Bruyne's 30th assist since the start of last season, despite having played just three games in all competitions this season.
Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne comes on in the second half and takes the captain's armband from Ruben Dias, as Man City beat Huddersfield in the FA Cup third round at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, January 7, 2023. Photo: AFP
De Bruyne continues to be the king of assists in Europe, and his return brought joy to the Etihad crowd. When he replaced Julian Alvarez in the 57th minute, he took over the captain's armband from centre-back Ruben Dias. And in the stands, thousands of spectators stood and applauded the captain. De Bruyne's return is important for Man City for the rest of the season, when they still have the chance to repeat the treble.
However, the best player of the match was 24-year-old midfielder Phil Foden, with a double. In the 33rd minute, he received a pass from Alvarez in the penalty area, a narrow angle on the left. Despite being pressed by the opponent, the English midfielder still controlled the ball neatly and quickly shot to the top corner to open the score. In the 65th minute, he completed his double with a shot from outside the penalty area to the bottom left corner, raising the score to 4-0.
Huddersfield are fourth from bottom in the Championship, so the gap between the two teams was evident on the pitch. The hosts had 18 shots, nine more than the visitors, and also had 84% possession despite missing midfielder Rodri. City's attackers combined well for all five goals. The visitors' own goal was unfortunate, but had Ben Jackson not headed into his own net, Oscar Bobb's cross would have found De Bruyne wide open at the second post.
Man City have won the FA Cup third round by the biggest margin so far. But the other three Premier League sides who played today, West Ham, Luton Town and Nottingham Forest, all drew with lower-league teams and will have to play a replay. The highlight of the round is the clash between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium at 11:30 p.m. today, Hanoi time.
Hoang An
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