Manchester City entered the fourth circular of the FA Cup, while James Mcatee marked a hat-trick on a break of City Salford of League two at the Etihad stadium.
Jeremy Doku weighed in with two targets, while Jack Grealish put an end to his long drought and the young Divino Mubama and Nico O’Reilly also hit a one-sided assembly at the Etihad stadium.
It was a brutal exhibition by a much-changed City, whose fans revelled in the beating dished out to their ‘Class of 92’-owned visitors.
Gary Neville, one of that group of famous former Manchester United players, was taunted mercilessly as the goals flew in.
The support of England has become a skillful and not provided entrepreneur to witness defeat, however, colleagues Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were available to see him extended in the agonizing main points of the stands.
Ryan Giggs, the sporting director who also has a winger role, is also close in the technical area, as the biggest game in Salford’s history turned temporarily sour.
City have brought in nine adjustments from the squad that invaded West Ham last weekend and took the opportunity to make their 20-year-old Mubama at Mubama and a new delight in 19-year-old O’Reilly and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.
Simpson-Pusey one of the only two defenders specialized in the appearance with the experienced Nathan Ake, but, with a quality stacking bank, Pep Guardiola was very sure if things had gone wrong.
Yet Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden needed only to look on as City quickly established control.
The hosts took the lead after only eight minutes as Matheus Nunes seized possession and fed Grealish, who played the ball wide for Doku to sweep past Matty Young from a tight angle.
The second came after 20 minutes as Savinho played in Nunes and he pulled back for Mubama to slide in for a simple finish.
Salford had the opportunity to respond as City facilitated the pressure, with Kylian Kouassi shooting Ederson after an intelligent race and then with a cross shot by Hakeeb Adekun.
Kevin Berkoe also took an effort, but City simply turned in response.
Doku weaved his way to the byline and O’Reilly firmly drove home his first senior goal before the break.
Grealish, who has been in club football since December 2023, returned to the adjustment sheet 4 minutes after the break.
The England international might have scored from open play after Mubama raced onto a poor backpass to set him up, but he made no mistake from the spot after being felled by Ossama Ashley.
The city’s fifth came here from a graceful move a while later, as Nunes freed Doku and his first cross deftly guided through McAtee.
Things quickly started to spiral out of control for Salford, who conceded a second penalty when Doku’s shot struck the arm of captain Curtis Tilt.
This time, Doku sent Young in the direction, and the goalkeeper was defeated when the ball of the replacement Foden was well controlled and hidden through Mcatee.
McAtee completed his treble nine minutes from time when he turned in a Grealish cross.
Man City Hat Trick Hero James Mcatee told the BBC: “I was frustrated in the first half, I was not seeing much of the ball. When the first one arrived here, my confidence was in position and kept scoring.
“I’ve been here since I was 10 years old and it’s a special moment for me. Something that I will do forever. Good time for me. “
Ciy boss Pep Guardiola told the BBC: “Jack [Grenalish] also made a clever assist, not just the goal. He scored a goal, made a decisive pass. Jack is a special player, not one to score Many goals are still based on him.
“If he can perform well, he’ll take the opportunity to keep going and going. All the players depend on the performance in training sessions and when they have minutes to play. It’s simple, not just for Jack, for all of them.
“I have been a manager here for more than 500 games and we had 487 or 488 games. Then we had 11, 12 or thirteen bad games.
“The challenge we had is that we had a number of injuries so that we could not exercise and we could not compete. It is so difficult yet through the step, other people return.
“This season or maybe next season, the new players contribute and you have to fight your position. When it grows, you have a festival and give the most productive of your most productive. “
Salford Chief Karl Robinson told the BBC: “You know you are at the mercy of competition quality.
“Man City and Pep have never been reputable and have shown us why they are what they are and why they are who they are. It’s about dusting ourselves off, we’ve come so much in 12 months and to be where we are in the league.
“We have one goal and that is to get out of this league. This is a glimmer of what we want to be and we know we’ve got so much to improve and we know where we want to be.”