Premier League leaders Manchester City made light work of fourth-tier Swindon Town in a 4-1 away victory in the opening salvo of a busy weekend of FA Cup third round action Friday. A full house at the County Ground had their hopes of a famous upset crushed inside the opening half hour as a strong City side struck twice through Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus. Swindon, who have fallen on hard times since a brief membership of the Premier League in 1993-94, stuck to their guns throughout but were ultimately outclassed by City's slickers. Ilkay Gundogan stroked a pinpoint free kick to make it 3-0 in the 59th minute and Jesus had a penalty saved by Swindon keeper Lewis Ward shortly after. If Ward's save drew a huge cheer from the 15,000 crowd, the decibel level went through the roof with just over 10 minutes left on the clock as Swindon striker Harry McKirdy struck a well-taken consolation goal.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 08, 2022 08:32 UTC