Mahrez stars as Manchester City thrash Chelsea to reach FA Cup fourth round

Blues manager Graham Potter under further pressure after resounding defeat

Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez (L) celebrates with Phil Foden after scoring their second goal in the 4-0 FA Cup victory against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on January 8, 2023. AFP

Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring City's fourth goal. Getty

Riyad Mahrez scores City's fourth goal from the penalty spot. Getty

Manchester City's Phil Foden celebrates scoring the third. PA

Phil Foden celebrates after scoring. AP

City's Julian Alvarez celebrates with teammates after scoring the second goal. EPA

Julian Alvarez scores City's second goal from the penalty spot past Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga. Action Images

Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, reacts during the match. Getty

Riyad Mahrez celebrates after scoring City's first goal. Getty

Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring. Reuters

Mahrez scores from a free-kick. PA

Chelsea manager Graham Potter looks troubled. Getty

Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

Three of the champions’ goals in a one-sided encounter at the Etihad Stadium came in a 15-minute spell late in the first half as Mahrez, Julian Alvarez – from the penalty spot – and Phil Foden all found the target.

Mahrez added a fourth with City’s second penalty of the match five minutes from time.

"It's good to have played the way we played, to score four goals and keep a clean sheet, it's a good day for us," Mahrez told the BBC.

"I was going to take the first penalty but Julian [Alvarez] asked me so of course he took it. He's a striker, he needs goals so it's good for him. The second one, I wanted to take it.

"Everyone has been involved and it has been very good. Every season we try to be involved in every competition. We're still in all the competitions and have to keep going."

It was City’s second win over the out-of-form Londoners in the space of four days and piled on the frustration for their manager Graham Potter.

After a run of just one win in seven in all competitions, Chelsea supporters booed their side and were also heard chanting the names of former owner Roman Abramovich and ex-manager Thomas Tuchel.

City have no such concerns and, as well as looking to reel Arsenal in at the top of the Premier League, could now be hosting them in the fourth round – if the Gunners can see off Oxford on Monday.

City, who rested Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, effectively had the game wrapped up by half-time.

The sides made 13 changes between them from the teams that played each other on Thursday but it was soon apparent City boasted greater strength in depth.

Chances were scarce as the game began at a slow tempo but City comfortably established control.

Mahrez first threatened when he beat Lewis Hall on the right but Kepa Arrizabalaga claimed his cross.

Cole Palmer wasted a golden opportunity after 13 minutes when he latched on to a long ball from Aymeric Laporte and shot into the side-netting instead of squaring for Alvarez.

Mahrez made no mistake, however, after he was fouled just outside the area by Hall. He got up to curl a superb free-kick into the top corner, albeit via a slight deflection off the wall, to put City ahead after 23 minutes.

Things got worse for Chelsea on the half-hour when Kai Havertz inexplicably charged and punched the ball away defending a corner. The offence was initially missed by referee Robert Jones but there was no escape for Havertz following a VAR review.

Alvarez fired the resulting penalty past Kepa despite the keeper getting a hand to his shot and having done his best to put the World Cup winner off with some words as he placed the ball on the spot.

Alvarez went close to another soon after but Kalidou Koulibaly just did enough to take the sting out of his effort.

Foden made it 3-0 when he rounded off a fine team move seven minutes before the interval.

The ball was spread from the right to the left and then back to the right, where Mahrez controlled brilliantly and casually fed the onrushing Kyle Walker to cutback for Foden to tuck home.

City went close again on the stroke of half-time when Alvarez was inches away from connecting with a Mahrez cross.

Such were Chelsea’s struggles, they did not even register a shot until a Mason Mount effort was deflected wide in the 55th minute.

City eased off but Mahrez curled an effort narrowly wide in the 73rd minute. He then did even better from the spot late on after Koulibaly bundled over Foden.