Guardiola’s men cruise into semis after Dwight howler

WELL, what did we expect from a team coached by serial winner Pep Guardiola who had just surrendered their league title?

Manchester City did what Guardiola sides invariably do – dust themselves down and take their disappointment out on their next opponents.

What we didn’t anticipate was a Newcastle outfit, enjoying their best FA Cup run in 14 years, allowing themselves to be cast in the role of hapless victims so readily.

Andy Carroll may be sporting a splendid pair of mutton chops but for much of the night, Steve Bruce’s side were like lambs to the slaughter as their Wembley dream proved as empty as the St James’ Park stands.

And yet extraordinarily, despite being outplayed almost from first minute to last, Newcastle were left rueing the one that got away.

On Wednesday, Dwight Gayle came off the bench to fire the Geordies ahead with his first touch against Aston Villa.

He should have cancelled out Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half penalty just seconds after being thrown on in the 64th minute but after Allan Sainthands with the home side defending so deeply.

Perhaps it was a mini-triumph that the Toon goal remained intact after such a concerted barrage. But if ever a game of football was attack versus defence, this was it as the visitors were allowed to park themselves deep inside Magpies’ territory from the outset.

City were mesmerising and profligate in equal measure was self-inflicted with Fabian Schar needlessly pushing Jesus as they challenged for Walker’s cross.

Karl Darlow has a fine record saving penalties but not this time as De Bruyne sent him the wrong way.

Bruce tinkered with a system which had not been working, moving Schar into midfield and switching Almiron inside to support Carroll on the restart.

It brought more purpose, though had Mahrez’s fizzer been any closer, their hopes of a comeback would have been ended in the 52nd minute.

The Toon flame was eventually extinguished by Sterling’s goal seconds after it had momentarily flickered when Gayle was presented with that gilt-edged chance.

So City’s twin assault on the FA Cup and the Champions League is alive and kicking while Newcastle’s wait for a domestic trophy now stretches to 66 years.