THE VERDICT: CITY 1 ARSENAL 2 Own-ghouls leave City’s cup dream in tatters

SAME OLD STORY FOR BLUES AS THREE SPECTRES OF SEASON COME BACK TO HAUNT THEM AND KILL-OFF GUARDIOLA’S SILVERWARE AMBITIONS

Had his hands full with OxladeChamberlain, which meant that he gave Sane very little support going forward. Was in the thick of the midfield battle in the first half, but he was forced to calm down after his yellow card. Justified his inclusion by giving City the game control they needed. Great pass to send Aguero through for the goal. Really came into his own when Silva went off and he took up a more favoured central position, but couldn’t find the telling ball. He had been the man making things happening in the opening stages – such a shame he had to limp off. City hoped he would have a field day against an Arsenal back three, but it never transpired. CITY suffered FA Cup heartache as the three spectres that have haunted them all season returned at Wembley.

One was their frequent inability to turn dominance and chances into goals, the second was an inability to hold leads … and the third was the fact they have been on the wrong end of wrong decisions against big teams.

The Blues were easily the better team in the first half, despite losing main man David Silva to injury.

And even though the Gunners made more of a fight of it in the second half, City still managed to hit the post through Yaya Toure and the bar from Fernandinho’s thumping header.

They even went ahead, as Toure released Sergio Aguero to run from halfway and delicately dink the ball over Petr Cech.

But, just as they did twice at the Emirates in the league clash, they allowed Arsenal back into it, allowing a cross to reach the far post where Nacho Monreal ensured rookie right-back Jesus Navas was outnumbered, and thumped the ball home from close range.

Then in extra time, more indecisive defending saw Gael Clichy beaten to the punch by Alexis Sanchez as a corner was not dealt with, and he scored from close range.

But City should arguably have been two up by half-time as Raheem Sterling’s goal was wrongly disallowed – the ball erroneously adjudged to have gone out from Leroy Sane’s preceding cross – and Aguero being fouled by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain without punishment.

Maybe the use of goal-line technology needs to be rolled out to cover ALL questions of whether a goal was legitimate or not after this.

The current rules state that the goal decision system can only be used to decide in cases where the ball was inside the frame of the goal.

It’s a bit like saying you can only use video cameras in certain types of crime – if they are there, you use them, as the outcome is equally harsh on the wronged team.

The linesman could not even be close to certain of his decision. He gave it anyway.

To be fair to him, the ball was possibly a centimetre or two away from going out of play, and he could not be humanly expected to see it.

But that word ‘humanly’ is the reason goal-line technology was introduced in the first place. Aguero (62) Monreal (71), Sanchez (101) 66% 34% 20 7 9 6 Otamendi, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sane, Delph Xhaka, Sanchez Craig Pawson 85,725

Aguero’s penalty claim was also a tough one to call, as the City man tripped himself – but only because OxladeChamberlain nudged one leg against the other.

Yet again, in a game against a big team City were on the wrong end of big decisions, but yet again they need to address their own shortcomings.

Aguero played his part, but maybe the imminent return of Gabriel Jesus, who was in the travelling party but not in the matchday squad, might back up Kun’s ruthlessness in front of goal.

City cannot afford to be so profligate in the Manchester derby on Thursday.