Manchester City 7 Sheffield Wednesday 0: Wednesday suffer case of the Blues in Cup blitz

This influx of cash has also dramatically altered the dynamic in games between the Blues and clubs from Yorkshire, with games at the Etihad, in particular, having brought heavy thumpings for Hull City, Barnsley and Leeds United.

Quite a contrast to the half dozen years that preceded the arrival of Sheikh Mansour and his billions, a period that saw Middlesbrough once put eight past City and even League One Doncaster Rovers dump them out of the League Cup.

That new-found dominance over sides from the Broad Acres continued last night as 10-man Sheffield Wednesday were swept away by a devastating second-half display that yielded a magnificent seven goals.

Frank Lampard began and ended a scoring stampede that the Owls simply could not contain as a double from Edin Dzeko, a thunderous strike by Jesus Navas, a tap-in for Pozo and a Yaya Toure penalty took City’s goal tally in seven home games against Yorkshire opposition to a phenomenal 25. Only two – by Jimmy Bullard and Craig Fagan in two of Hull’s three visits – have been scored in reply.

Such a heavy defeat was harsh on Wednesday, who in the first half had more than matched the reigning Premier League champions and Capital One Cup holders.

Stuart Gray’s side even had the game’s first chance when Gary Madine fluffed a headed opportunity and few in the 32,346 crowd could begrudge the visitors being level at the break.

After that, however, City’s undoubted class told. Not that this was apparent in the stands, with the 5,400 travelling army of fans maintaining their excellent and very noisy support to the end.

It was recognition of just what quality their team had been up against – a point vividly illustrated by Wednesday’s most expensive player being Stevie May, the £800,000 summer capture from St Johnstone.

To put that into context, Pellegrini splashed £32m on Eliaquim Mangala alone during the close season and it was the former Porto defender who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half.

Moments earlier, Dzeko had seen his shot deflected behind by Tom Lees and it was from the resulting corner that Mangala connected with the sweetest of volleys only for the ball to smash against the upright before bouncing to safety.

It was a let-off for the Owls, though one on their first half display that Stuart Gray’s men fully warranted for a tigerish display that largely kept the Blues in check. Sure, the hosts had some promising situations in the opening 45 minutes. But, apart from the Mangala volley and a James Milner shot that Chris Kirkland kept out low to his right, there was little to unduly concern Wednesday.

At the other end, Gray’s side could have broken the deadlock only for Madine, unmarked and six yards out, to mis-judge Jacques Maghoma’s beautifully flighted cross from the left wing.

Wednesday had other threatening moments in the opening 45 minutes, most notably when May got the ball at his feet and was able to turn and run at the Blues defence.

Within two minutes of the restart and City went ahead. A neat pass from Toure to the outstanding Milner allowed the former Leeds United midfielder to twist and turn sufficiently to create the space to cross for Lampard to finish past Kirkland.

Six minutes later, Wednesday fell further behind and, again, it was down their left where the problems came as Navas raced to the by-line before picking out Dzeko, who did the rest from eight yards.

Navas then got in on the act jwith some neat skill that left Joe Mattock so wrong-footed that he went one way as the Spaniard nipped the other before rifling a shot beyond Kirkland.

Wednesday, so defiant in the first half, had barely been allowed to catch their breath, and the night got even worse just before the hour when Kamil Zayatte was sent off for denying Lampard a clear run on goal with a clumsy foul.

Toure then further increased the pain by converting the resulting penalty, Kirkland diving the wrong way.

The suffering was not over just yet, either, with Dzeko heading in 13 minutes from time, substitute Pozo tapping in from close range and then Lampard adding a seventh at the death to cap the latest instalment of Blue dominance against the White Rose.

Manchester City: Caballero; Sagna, Demichelis, Mangala, Kolarov; Lampard, Fernandinho (Boyata 70); Navas, Toure (Pozo 63), Milner (Sinclair 73); Dzeko. Unused substitutes: Hart, Kompany, Bytyqi, Clichy.

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland; Buxton, Lees, Zayette, Mattock; Maguire, Coke, Palmer (Helan 70), Maghoma; May, Madine (Nuhiu 61). Unused substitutes: Westwood, Semedo, Drenthe, Hope, Dielna.

Referee: P Tierney (Lancashire).