Manchester City surprised even Pep Guardiola with their ruthlessness as they effectively secured a League Cup final place with a brutal 9-0 demolition of Burton Albion.
Gabriel Jesus scored four as the holders showed no mercy on their League One opponents on Wednesday, taking their goal tally to 16 in the space of four days following Sunday's 7-0 hammering of Rotherham.
Kevin de Bruyne - who set the tone after just five minutes at the Etihad Stadium - Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez were the other scorers in a one-sided semi-final first leg.
City spurned a host of other chances and also had a good penalty claim dismissed following a VAR review in what was a record victory in an English domestic cup semi-final.
"We spoke about travelling to Burton with as big an advantage as possible but we didn't expect to score so many goals," said City manager Guardiola.
"It's the best way to respect the competition and respect the opponents. If you are 4-0 up and forget to continue, you don't have respect for the competition or your opponent. The best way is do what we have to do."
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It was a tortuous night for Burton and their fans, many of whom had also endured an arduous journey after being caught up in severe traffic problems due to a police incident on the M6 in Staffordshire.
"They're professional, they keep going and don't ever ease off at any point," said Burton manager Nigel Clough, a former City player. "They don't just beat you, they annihilate you.
"It's not very pleasant when you're on the other end of it but that's what they're capable of.
"If that front five players are playing in the semi-final of the Champions League they'll give Real Madrid problems, or whoever they're playing. So, they're going to give us problems."
The second leg, which will now be a formality, takes place at the Pirelli Stadium in two weeks.
Guardiola said: "It's good for us because we can play the second team and players who don't play so many minutes.
"In this incredible schedule, we have a little bit of a break in that week to prepare for the other competitions."
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
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The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
