Cole Palmer shines as Covid outbreak fails to derail Manchester City
Swindon Town's Jonny Williams (left) and Manchester City's Cole Palmer battle for the ball during the Emirates FA Cup third round match at the Energy Check County Ground, Swindon. Picture: Adam Davy/PA
Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola’s number three Rodolfo Borrell calling the shots, successfully negotiated an outbreak of Covid and a potential FA Cup third round upset on a night that showcased the growing talents of Cole Palmer.
The 19-year-old, tipped as the next Phil Foden to emerge from City’s Academy, was the pick of a performance that made a mockery of suggestions that the pandemic — which left Guardiola watching the tie from his sickbed — might cost his team progress to the fourth round.
For all the talk of City potentially facing a problem at the League Two side, they were still able to name a starting XI that featured 10 regular internationals and, predictably, they were two goals up inside half an hour.
Bernardo Silva netted the first, on 14 minutes, after Palmer skipped past full-back Ellis Iandolo far too easily on the City right.
His cross found the Portuguese midfielder, playing here as a false nine, who had timed his run so well that he was unmarked two yards out to touch the ball into the open net.
It was, to all intents and purposes, the end of the dream, one which may have grown in the West Country this week as medical reports seeped out of Manchester where City, at one stage, had 21 positive Covid tests among players and staff.
Unfortunately, for Swindon at least, City have stockpiled the deepest squad in English football, as their team selection and performance was demonstrating at the County Ground.
Chances mounted at a breakneck rate. Silva skied shots over, either side of his goal, when he would have been expected to score; Kevin de Bruyne shot straight at keeper Lewis Ward and, on 28 minutes, Swindon inexplicably contributed to their own downfall.
Ward nervously played the ball short out of his area, when a long punt forward was the obvious safety-first option to beat City’s press, placed team mate Louis Reed under pressure and the ball was quickly stolen by Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian exchanged passes with De Bruyne whose superbly judged return allowed the Brazilian to advance and beat Ward with an accomplished finish.
City keeper Zack Steffen almost produced a similar error soon after, gifting the ball to Harry McKirdy whose attempt to chip the US international never looked likely to succeed.
But City continued their stroll towards the fourth round and Joao Cancelo might have added a third just before the interval, producing a stunning shot from the edge of the area which whistled past the top corner of the home goal by inches.
The excellent Palmer opened the second half in similar fashion, with his deflected shot dipping just over the Swindon goal and, from a 58th minute free-kick, skipper Ilkay Gundogan took advantage of a poorly positioned wall, and curled an accurate 25-yard finish into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
It should have been four three minutes later when Jordan Lyden tripped Jesus just inside the Swindon area, resulting in a penalty which the Brazilian approached far too complacently, delaying his run-up then hitting a poor shot which Ward saved well at the foot of his post.
Still, there was a little bit of romance left in this tie and it arrived on a Swindon break after 78 minutes when home substitute Jonny Williams broke upfield and fed McKirdy who took a touch and finished superbly.
The romance was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Palmer curled a superb finish past Ward and into the far corner after a blocked Silva shot had fallen to him win in the Swindon area. At least the Swindon keeper had the consolation of making a superb late save from Rodri, tipping his shot onto the bar, to emerge with his reputation intact.
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