An utterly pointless game of football.
Manchester City beat Burton Albion 9-0 on Wednesday night.
That’s right. They scored nine goals against the League One team in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus (4), Olexandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez got the goals at the Etihad Stadium.
It was an ultimately pointless exhibition. Before the match, everyone knew City would win. But the sight of them laying siege to Burton’s goal in the final minutes as they tried to make it double figures was just cruel.
This was a complete mismatch. Burton may have been in the semi-finals on merit, but the two clubs are effectively competing in different sports.
Burton are currently ninth in League One. As Sky Sports detailed before the match, the gulf between the two teams was astronomical.
City’s squad cost £756m to assemble. Burton’s cost £700,000. City’s wage bill is £242m a year. Burton’s is £8m.
⚽️@ManCity play in their 4th @Carabao_Cup semi-final in the last 6 seasons.@burtonalbionfc play in their 1st major semi-final – never previously reached 3rd round of @Carabao_Cup ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/FOAWon3n0k
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) January 9, 2019
This match could be played another 99 times, and City would win it every single time.
It only took them five minutes to open the scoring.
"Oh Kevin De Bruyne"
It didn't take long.. #MCFC lead thanks to a fifth minute header from the Belgian.
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football or follow here: https://t.co/LvgqdiFIng pic.twitter.com/27sPSTrz9Q
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 9, 2019
City didn’t do anything wrong. They certainly didn’t patronise their opponents by easing off and behaved in a professional manner by aiming to score as many goals as possible.
But Burton’s players are professionals too and no professional should be humiliated in this fashion.
👏@ManCity this evening 👏
😀Biggest ever win in a @Carabao_Cup semi-final
😀Pep Guardiola's joint biggest win as a head coach
😀Man City's biggest win since November 1987
😀3rd biggest win ever in a @Carabao_Cup game pic.twitter.com/TMzngXB4VV
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) January 9, 2019
There’s something broken within English football when one team can do this to another on a regular basis – City beat Rotherham 7-0 on Saturday in the third round of the FA Cup.
There is also a better chance of them scoring 10 against Burton in the second-leg than there is a chance of Burton winning that tie.
After the game, Burton manager Nigel Clough said that one of the few positives from the match was that his team didn’t concede 10 goals. That doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel like sport.
