Having issued a statement of intent in beating Rotherham United 7-0 in the FA Cup at the weekend, Pep Guardiola and his men showed no remorse at all for League 1 Burton Albion last night as the Brewers found themselves on the wrong end of a 9-0 demolition.
Gabriel de Jesus helped himself to four goals and the man-of-the-match award as De Bruyne, Mahrez, Walker, Zinchenko and Foden, scoring his second in four days, provided the goals as destination Wembley appeared once again above the parapet.
There was no taking a chance with a weakened team as they did last season against Bristol City, there were experiments, just a Club delivering what its fans want – another day out at the National Stadium, where Premier League opposition in the shape of Chelsea or Spuds will provide a much sterner challenge.