Match ends, Manchester City 3, Birmingham City 0.
Manchester City produced a polished performance to outclass Birmingham and reach the FA Cup fourth round.
The hosts were without striker Sergio Aguero, who was supposed to be making his first start since October, but has to isolate because he came into contact with someone who had Covid-19.
"Unfortunately he was in contact with a person who has tested positive [for coronavirus] and that's why he must be isolated for a few days," Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said afterwards.
"I don't know exactly how long he will be missing because he has been tested, like all of us, six times in the past 10 or 15 days. He was negative and I think today he is negative too, but he was not able to play today."
Aguero's absence will not help Manchester City's busy January schedule but it made little difference this time, as early goals by Bernardo Silva gave them full control and Phil Foden's strike put the tie beyond doubt before half-time.
Guardiola's side, who beat Manchester United on Wednesday to reach the Carabao Cup final, took things easier in the second half but still dominated possession and gave Bernardo enough chances to complete his hat-trick.
Birmingham were on the back foot from the start, and fell behind when they could only clear Joao Cancelo's clipped pass into the path of Bernardo, who expertly steered the bouncing ball into the top corner with a fierce first-time shot.
Another superb passing move soon after gave Bernardo his second goal, this time with a tap-in from Kevin de Bruyne's pull-back.
The Belgian was in majestic form and opened up the Birmingham defence time and time again before Riyad Mahrez fed Foden to make it 3-0 from the edge of the area.
That advantage was always going to be enough to see off a Birmingham side who are 18th in the Championship and had lost five of their previous six league games, failing to score in the past three.
Birmingham took until the 34th minute to test Zack Steffen through George Friend's deflected shot, but almost got a late consolation when substitute Jeremie Bela blasted just over the bar from 25 yards out.
What next? Manchester City back at Etihad Stadium
Manchester City go into the draw for fourth and fifth rounds, taking place together on Monday, and will be back at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to host Brighton (18:00 GMT), the first of three successive home Premier League games.
Birmingham are not in action again until Saturday, when they travel to face Middlesbrough, their manager Aitor Karanka's former club (12:30).
- Watch all the goals from the FA Cup third round
- Follow all of the action and reaction from Sunday's ties
- How to follow FA Cup third round on the BBC
Birmingham manager Aitor Karanka:
"We finished the game in the way we should have started it. In the first five or six minutes, we were brave on the pitch and then suddenly we started to defend almost in our own box.
"I said before the game that if we were going to defend for 90 minutes, then it would be impossible. We should have been more aggressive from the beginning.
"We approached the second half much, much better, and made the game more difficult for them."
Bernardo at the double for the first time - stats of the day
- Bernardo Silva netted twice in a game for just the second time in his Manchester City career, with the previous instance coming in a hat-trick against Watford in September 2019.
- Phil Foden has been directly involved in 12 goals in all competitions this season (scoring seven and assisting five), the most of any Under-21 player for a Premier League side.
- Manchester City have won each of their past seven FA Cup home games, their best home winning run in the competition since January 1946 (14 in a row).
Line-ups
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Steffen
- 27CanceloSubstituted forHarwood-Bellisat 45'minutes
- 2WalkerBooked at 74mins
- 3Rúben DiasSubstituted forStonesat 45'minutes
- 22Mendy
- 17De BruyneSubstituted forNmechaat 45'minutes
- 16RodriSubstituted forFernandinhoat 67'minutes
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 26Mahrez
- 47Foden
- 9Gabriel JesusSubstituted forDelapat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Stones
- 8Gündogan
- 11Zinchenko
- 25Fernandinho
- 31Ederson
- 48Delap
- 61Nmecha
- 78Harwood-Bellis
- 79Mbete
Birmingham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Prieto
- 2Colin
- 19San José
- 15Clarke-SalterBooked at 88mins
- 5Friend
- 6Kieftenbeld
- 34SunjicBooked at 44minsSubstituted forBelaat 67'minutes
- 23ToralSubstituted forClaytonat 45'minutes
- 17Sánchez
- 14LekoSubstituted forJutkiewiczat 68'minutes
- 9HoganSubstituted forRobertsat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Pedersen
- 4Roberts
- 8Clayton
- 10Jutkiewicz
- 11Bela
- 12Dean
- 18McGree
- 25Dacres-Cogley
- 30Etheridge
- Referee:
- Robert Jones
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home74%
- Away26%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away8
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home2
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester City 3, Birmingham City 0.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by George Friend.
Booking
Jake Clarke-Salter (Birmingham City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Felix Nmecha (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Jake Clarke-Salter (Birmingham City).
Post update
Attempt missed. Iván Sánchez (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Maxime Colin.
Post update
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Post update
Offside, Birmingham City. Adam Clayton tries a through ball, but Jérémie Bela is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Maxime Colin.
Post update
Attempt missed. Liam Delap (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Bernardo Silva.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jérémie Bela (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by George Friend.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Iván Sánchez.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jake Clarke-Salter (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Iván Sánchez with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Benjamin Mendy.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Liam Delap replaces Gabriel Jesus.
Booking
Kyle Walker (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Kyle Walker (Manchester City).
Post update
George Friend (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Kyle Walker (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Comments
Join the conversation
City goals were superb. Outclassed.
However the Covidiot Mendy should now be sold. That's of course after he's been released from prison.
No defence as he knew full well he was breaking the rules as he told the female to delete her posts.
Utter joke
pep is desperate not to win just the league cup again
But as the only saying goes....
You can only beat what's in front of you.
Blues second half performance was much better.. we need to put two up front for the rest of the season and start going for the wins. KRO
It starts with Utd spanking those fake Manchester wannabes next Sunday.