Phil Foden shined as the England international netted twice, allowing Kevin De Bruyne to wrap up the contest for the Premier League titleholders at Ashton Gate. The Citizens sailed into the next round of the FA Cup with a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Within seven minutes of the start of the game, Foden scored to give the reigning Premier League champions an early advantage in what seemed to be an expected victory for Pep Guardiola’s side. Nevertheless, Bristol City, enlivened by a raucous crowd at Ashton Gate, returned stronger in the second period and it took two dazzling moves from Kevin De Bruyne for the visitors to secure the result.
His precise pass enabled Julian Alvarez to lay the groundwork for Foden’s second goal, with the Belgium international eventually unleashing a beautiful long-ranged shot with nine minutes left to play, cementing City’s dominance and progression to the sixth round. On what was a satisfactory outing for Guardiola’s team, Man City’s players were rated highly at Ashton Gate.
Defense and Goalkeeper Man City player ratings vs Bristol City
Ruben Dias (5/10):
He appeared less guarded than his defensive teammate, being slower to react to the ball and, at times, outworked by the energetic Scott. On some occasions, his choices put his team in jeopardy, as Bell almost took advantage of his mistake late in the second half.
Stefan Ortega (6/10):
He was only able to participate for a short period due to suffering an injury to his hand early on. Even though he was called into action, he was replaced by Ederson at the break.
Rico Lewis (6/10):
He showed flashes of brilliance in certain areas, but was vulnerable in his positioning on occasions. It could be argued that he was fortunate to not give away a penalty in the early stages.
Manuel Akanji (7/10):
Typically, the Swiss star showed a solid performance and made multiple last-minute interventions to prevent the home side from gaining an advantage when they were gaining strength.
Nathan Ake (7/10):
Ensured efficiency in different situations. Sharp passing that connected defensive and offensive play quickly and effectively.
Attack
Julian Alvarez (4/10):
Foden’s second-half assistance was not enough to salvage an unimpressive performance from the Argentine. He missed a few key opportunities and saw a shot from close range blocked in the closing stages. City’s attack was mainly from other sources.
Riyad Mahrez (6/10):
Pinpoint assist for Foden’s opener but kept at bay for most of the match before being hooked for Grealish on 71 minutes.
Phil Foden (9/10):
The city’s greatest danger was clearly demonstrated by an expert strike from the angle for his team’s first goal, with the second attempt being diverted past O’Leary. He was continually involved in the attack, displaying numerous astute touches. The only downside to his performance was a yellow card in the second half.
Midfield
Bernardo Silva (5/10):
Taking an active part in the advancement of the City, however hampered in their creative efforts by the determined Bristol City back line. Having a heated debate in the last moments of the game, leading to a caution.
Kalvin Phillips (6/10):
He had only started three times this season and performed satisfactorily. There were no egregious mistakes, but nothing particularly impressive either.
Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):
Belgium’s international initially struggled, however he ultimately made a crucial impact in critical periods of play, providing accurate passes for Mahrez and Ake that contributed to Foden’s double, before capping off the game with his own long-distance strike.
Subs & Manager
Sergio Gomez (N/A):
Only included in the last 10 minutes.
Cole Palmer (N/A):
Only included in the last 10 minutes.
Maximo Perrone (N/A):
Only included in the last 10 minutes.
Ederson (6/10):
At half-time, Ederson replaced Ortega and had an even easier job than his fellow goalkeeper. It was a stress-free day for the Brazilian.
Jack Grealish (8/10):
Grealish came on at 1-0 and instead of taking it easy for the last part of the game, he made a major impact and was better than Mahrez. He provided a nice pass to De Bruyne to make it 3-0.
Pep Guardiola (8/10):
City produced a comprehensive performance under Guardiola’s guidance, and were able to withstand Bristol City’s resistance to go 1-0 up. Their depth of squad then allowed them to take command of the game and emerge victorious. Although tougher challenges await, this was an impressive display against a committed opposition.
>> Read more: Bristol City 0-3 Man City team advanced to the FA Cup quarterfinals thanks to two goals from Phil Foden
