Gabriel Jesus scores four in Manchester City’s nine-goal obliteration of Burton in the Carabao Cup

Whether it was Nigel Clough hiding Manchester City’s strengths from his players so as not to scare them, his assistant Gary Crosby admitting that the miracle had “already happened” by reaching the semi-finals, or chairman Ben Robinson claiming that his side could perhaps beat Pep Guardiola’s third team, you sensed that Burton Albion knew keeping this scoreline respectable was always going to be a struggle.

Nobody at the League One club, however, would have expected one of the greatest occasions in their 69-year history to end quite like this. City have all but reached their fourth EFL Cup final in six years after this 9-0 victory. Yes, nine. The type of scoreline that requires clarification in parentheses on a vidiprinter. The type that is in one part undeniably impressive, one part very sad.

To describe Guardiola’s players as ‘ruthless’ does not fully capture how they laid waste to their third-tier opponents, particularly in an unsparing second half. Gabriel Jesus scored four, Kevin De Bruyne opened the proceedings after only six minutes, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez had all joined in on the act by the time Burton’s players eventually heard the final whistle.

The only salvation for Clough’s side was that they avoided conceding ten. Unfortunately, the aggregate scoreline is all but certain to extend into double figures. The second leg at the Pirelli Stadium in less than a fortnight’s time will stretch the definition of the term ‘foregone conclusion’, though no matter how wide the margin ultimately is, Burton will remain proud of reaching this late stage.

Guardiola named a starting line-up so strong it almost seemed unfair. The 18-year-old birthday boy Eric Garcia was the only novice playing outfield. His fellow teenager Phil Foden, scorer of his first Etihad goal on Sunday, was dropped to the substitutes’ bench after playing the 90 minutes in the FA Cup third round win over Rotherham.

Though kick-off was not delayed, hundreds of Burton supporters missed the start after becoming stuck in traffic on the M6. Only around two-thirds of the 3,000 travelling fans were present as the two teams walked out, but City’s start must have had some of them wishing they were still stranded somewhere near Keele.

The latecomers were still making their way to their seats when De Bruyne’s downward header opened the scoring in the sixth-minute. The Belgian’s third goal of an injury-stricken season was simple: an undetected run into the penalty area, between centre-halves Ben Turner and Reece Hutchinson, allowed him to convert David Silva’s perfectly-weighted cross.

At least those travelling from Staffordshire saw something of a response from their side and they perhaps should have had more to celebrate. Marcus Myers-Harness was presented with an excellent opportunity to equalise while in space at the far post, but with the ball at his feet and time to pick his spot, he cleared Aro Muric’s crossbar.

open image in gallery

It would be Burton’s only meaningful opportunity of the evening as, within the space of first-half seven minutes, City all but secured their passage to Wembley. Jesus doubled their lead over their League One visitors first, nodding home on the rebound after Ilkay Gundogan had expertly found Leroy Sané with a dink over the top of the visiting defence.

The third, Jesus’ second of the night, came from another Gundogan dink. Silva was the recipient this time and though Jesus hesitated when he received the Spaniard’s cut-back across the face of goal, he scored off the inside of the post. Referee Mike Dean briefly consulted VAR for offside but the goal would stand

Meanwhile, only Zinchenko knows whether he truly meant to score the fourth and his first in City colours. There was a strange, arcing flight to the ball that deceived Burton’s goalkeeper Bradley Collins - it seemed like more a cross than a shot, in truth - but that may be doing a disservice to the makeshift left-back. If intended, it was a spectacular goal.

There seemed little point in either side coming back out after the break, let alone playing a second leg. Unfortunately, regulation demanded City would have another 45 minutes to build on their four-goal advantage. They doubled it and then some. This was not a second half but a slaughter.

open image in gallery

Jesus completed his hat-trick shortly before the hour mark, rising to nod Mahrez’s cross from the byline while virtually unchallenged inside the box. Five up, Guardiola felt it safe to introduce Foden and within minutes, he had scored the sixth of the night and his second in as many games. When Jesus squandered a chance, shooting straight at Collins, the teenager swept home on the rebound.

At this rate, Jesus was in danger of needing to share the match ball, so the Brazilian made sure that he alone would be taking it home by scoring his fourth. After Mahrez found Sané in yards of space out on the left, the winger stood his marker John Brayford up, played the ball through his legs and onto a platter for Jesus. The slightest of touches was enough to take it beyond Collins.

There was still space for more names on the scoresheet. Kyle Walker joined in, converting Mahrez’s cross from the left first-time. The visiting support could not even manage a spot of gallows humour. There were, surprisingly, no chants of: “We’re going to win 9-8”. Only the home support could be heard. They were demanding double figures.

A lull followed, which allowed Burton to rise from their knees, but City were still in no mood to show mercy. Mahrez added the ninth with seven minutes remaining, stabbing a tame effort across the line that Collins should have stopped. At least he denied Nicolas Otamendi from a corner four minutes later, grasping the ball on the goalline, holding onto the last shred of dignity. That, and their pride, was all Burton had left.