Preston North End 0 Manchester City 3 - Match report from Deepdale as PNE are beaten by Pep Guardiola's side

All the damage was done in the first half as a strong City outfit scored their three goals in a 22-minute spell.

England international Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with a shot which caught a deflection, Gabriel Jesus doubling the lead with a sharp finish from Sterling's pass.

David Silva's cross was turned into his own net by Ryan Ledson as he put in a challenge on the City man for the visitors' third goal.

North End's best chance fell to Josh Harrop who hit the post with a second-half shot - Phil Foden rattling the bar at the other end too.

City were impressive with their speed and movement and perhaps eased off in the second half but Preston were far from disgraced despite the scoreline.

They struggled to make an impact going forward though, the approach in the first half being to try and find Tom Barkhuizen over the top.

Both managers rang the changes for the third round tie, Alex Neil changing six of the team which had won at Birmingham City last Saturday.

Connor Ripley, Jordan Storey, Ledson, Alan Browne, Brad Potts and Joe Rafferty came into the North End side, Neil having one eye on the forthcoming league games and also protecting a couple of injuries - Ben Pearson had suffered cramp in his hamstring last Saturday.

City's team was packed with quality, with a front three of Bernando Silva, Sterling and Jesus, backed-up by Foden, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan in midfield.

North End were in a 4-2-3-1 system, Barhuizen playing as the central striker, with Josh Harrop on the left and Potts on the right.

It was the home side who had the first opening inside a minute, Ledson's cross from the right just too high for Harrop at the far post - the Preston man claiming he might have got a little push as he went for it.

Darnell Fisher's pass played Browne in down the right hand side of the box in the ninth minute but his low cross into the middle couldn't find a white shirt in the six-yard box.

Harrop tried his luck with a first-time shot from 20 yards which City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo got behind and saved comfortably.

City began to find their attacking legs, Sterling's shot from the left of goal saved low down by Ripley with 17 minutes played.

Their opener came in the 20th, Sterling picking the ball up 30 yards out and setting off on a run towards the box, one which saw him shape to shoot a couple of times before continuing his run.

Just inside the box, Sterling got a shot away which clipped off Fisher and beat Ripley.

Jesus had the ball in the net soon after but North End were rescued on that occasion by an offside flag.

Ripley saved well from Jesus, before City made it 2-0 in the 35th minute.

Sterling's pass played Jesus down the side of the Preston defence, the Brazilian pulling the trigger with a low angled shot which went through Ripley's legs.

It was effectively game over three minutes before half-time, if it wasn't already, as the visitors netted a third time which a big helping of fortune.

David Silva got possession to the left of North End's goal and his low cross hit Ledson as the midfielder put in a challenge, the ball diverting into the net.

On the stroke of half-time Storey's long ball from the back was chased by Barkhuizen, the striker getting between two defenders but electing to shoot early, Bravo saving comfortably.

North End certainly didn't go into their shells after conceding the three first-half goals, competing well in the second half.

They were almost undone a fourth time though, when Eric Garcia volleyed wide on the stretch at the far post after Foden had helped the ball across goal.

In the 58th minute PNE were the width of the woodwork from pulling a goal back.

Harrop wriggled his way through a couple of challenges in the box and saw a low shot come back off the foot of the near post.

The biggest roar of the evening from a Preston perspective came when David Nugent joined the action in the 63rd minute, replacing Barkhuizen.

It was City's turn to hit the woodwork when Foden's shot from the edge of the box came back off the bar.

The depth of City's squad was shown with two of their substitutions, Benjamin Mendy replacing left-back Angelino and then Riyad Mahrez coming on for Sterling.

North End introduced Josh Ginnelly and Tom Bayliss to give them a taste of the action in the latter stages.

In stoppage-time, Ripley saved well with his legs to keep out a close-range shot from Jesus.

PNE: Ripley, Fisher, Storey, Davies, Rafferty, Ledson, Browne, Potts, Johnson (Bayliss 75), Harrop (Ginnelly 71), Barkhuizen (Nugent 63). Subs (not used): Green, Stockley, Huntington, Rudd.

City: Bravo, Cancelo, Harwood-Bellis, Garcia, Angelino (Mendy 60), Gundogan, Foden, D Silva (Bernabe 63), B Silva, Sterling (Mahrez 72), Jesus. Subs (not used): Rodrigo, Otamendi, Dionkou, Carson.

Referee: Lee Mason (Bolton)

Attendance: 22,025 (5,637 away)