Man City closer to FA Cup Silva-ware
LONDON: David Silva and Sergio Aguero scored in each half as Manchester City became the first team to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win at Premier League rivals Middlesbrough yesterday.
A dominant City cruised into the last four after Silva gave them a third-minute lead and Aguero struck in the 67th minute, with the visitors missing numerous chances to win by a bigger margin.
Pep Guardiola’s attacking formation, featuring Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane behind Aguero, paid instant dividends as City carved open the home team’s defence.
Yaya Toure fed Pablo Zabaleta on the right flank with a splendid, defence-splitting pass and the Argentine defender drove a perfect ball across the face of goal for Silva to shoot home from close range.
Middlesbrough kept getting undone on either wing as Sane and Silva gave their markers a roasting and the home team’s goalkeeper Brad Guzan made a string of good saves.
Aguero hit the woodwork after another lightning raid down the right but made no mistake when he steered a first-time shot past the helpless Guzan at the near post from a fizzing low cross by the inspirational Sane.
City threatened to run riot in the closing stages as acres of space opened up, but Guzan spared the home side a heavier defeat by denying Sterling and Silva.
Meanwhile, Lincoln City’s fairytale FA Cup run ended at the quarter-final stage as Arsenal put aside their own problems to crush the fifthtier side 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium last night.
It took a labouring Arsenal until first-half stoppage time to take the lead through Theo Walcott but the 12-times winners made their superiority count after the break.
Olivier Giroud side-footed Arsenal’s second after 53 minutes and five minutes later Lincoln’s hopes were extinguished as their skipper Luke Waterfall turned in Kieran Gibbs’ cross into his own goal.
Alexis Sanchez, on from the start added a classy fourth and Aaron Ramsey made it 5-0 to the Premier League side who were humiliated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek.
Lincoln, who became the first minor league side to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for more than a century by knocking out top flight Burnley in round five, had delighted their 9000 travelling fans in the first half with a gritty display.
They even went close to taking the lead when Nathan Arnold weaved in from the right and forced Petr Cech into a fine save. – Reuters