Frank Lampard and Edin Dzeko scored twice as Premier League champions Manchester City cruised to a 7-0 crushing of Sheffield Wednesday in a Capital One Cup third round match played on Wednesday evening at the Etihad Stadium.
It was the Championship side however that had the first sniff at goal early on, but Gary Madine was unable to get enough behind his header to beat City goalkeeper Willy Caballero who saved without fuss.
City then went even closer to breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute through Eliaquim Mangala who lost his marker in the area to meet a cornerkick but the French defender’s ensuing volley crashed off the Sheffield Wednesday crossbar as the half finished goalless.
On-loan New York City midfielder Lampard eventually broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half, racing on to a James Milner ball in to score his second in as many matches following his first for City against old club Chelsea last weekend.
Lampard then had an effort pushed out for a cornerkick moments later as the home side looked to extend its lead, a mission that was soon accomplished with goals from Dzeko in the 53rd minute after being fed by Jesus Navas, before the latter made it 3-0 a minute later with a spectacular solo effort.
Sheffield Wednesday then had Kamil Zayatte sent off on the hour mark for a foul on Lampard in the penalty area, allowing Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure put City 4-0 up from a spot-kick.
Milner then had an effort come off the post in the 66th minute before being denied when one-on-one with the Sheffield goalkeeper a minute later, while Dzeko ent a first-time volley across the goal eight minutes later as a rampant City searched for more goals.
Dzeko made up for his miss two minutes later to get his second and City’s fifth with a header, while youngster Jose Angel Pozo scored on his debut and Lampard wrapped up a comprehensive result with a stoppage time goal.
City was joined in the Capital One Cup fourth round by Premier League leaders Chelsea that overcame a stubborn Bolton Wanderers side 2-1 at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals in each half from Kurt Zouma and Oscar.
German forward Andre Schürrle was denied on two occasions by the visiting goalkeeper and the woodwork as Chelsea made a good start to the match, though he would be involved in the opening goal.
Bolton’s resistance was eventually broken in the 25th minute when Zouma struck home after the Bolton defence failed to deal well with a Schürrle cornerkick, though Matt Mills equalised for Bolton six minutes later with a header against the run of play.
Youngster Nathan Ake and French striker Löic Remy; making his first start for the Blues, were denied afterwards by the Bolton goalkeeper as both sides went into the break level at 1-1.
Chelsea eventually retook the lead 10 minutes into the second half through Brazilian playmaker Oscar with a well placed effort from 25 yards out, holding out to win the third round tie.
Elsewhere in the Capital One Cup, Tottenham Hotspur won 3-1 at home to Nottingham Forest, Emmanuel Riviere scored twice as Newcastle United won 3-2 at Crystal Palace while Brown Ideye scored as West Brom won 3-2 at home to Hull City.