Huddersfield consign City to nightmare scenario

Another FA Cup encounter diminished in significance by financial distraction, another tie supposedly undermined by priorities elsewhere, but this was a fantastic game that merely lacked a decisive outcome.

Played amid a raucous atmosphere, this was a thrilling clash between a hugely impressive Huddersfield team chasing promotion in the Championship and an in-form Manchester City side with a Champions League game against Monaco next week.

Sadly, it ended in a replay, the nightmare outcome for both. The extra game will mean City need to cut short a winter-training camp in Dubai. Huddersfield will postpone their league game against Wolves and cram another match into a congested fixture list.

The only sour note for Huddersfield was the bottle thrown at City’s substitutes in the second half, the missile narrowly missing Raheem Sterling. The FA is likely to investigate.

Huddersfield made their intentions clear from the first whistle. David Wagner’s team treated City like they would Burton Albion, thrusting forward, pressing high, clattering into their fluorescent orange and purple clad opponents, passing quickly and smoothly.

City were rattled. Huddersfield were only denied the lead by a tight offside call when Philip Billing swept the ball into the top corner from six yards, but the goal was chalked off as Collin Quaner was judged to be interfering with play in an offside position.

The Terriers, who played like one, had other chances, too. Rajiv van La Parra should have opened the scoring when he fired straight at Claudio Bravo from just inside the area. City were not enjoying themselves, but could still have taken the lead before half-time as Sergio Agüero, restored to the team because of injury to Gabriel Jesus, wasted two wonderful openings.

The first came straight from a long kick from Bravo, but with goalkeeper Joel Coleman stranded, Agüero lifted a shot over the unguarded goal. For the second he was denied by an excellent save. Agüero was kept out again by Coleman early in the second half, cutting inside and making an angle for the shot, but the goalkeeper got down sharply to turn it away from goal.

“I’m new to English football,” said City manager Pep Guardiola when asked if he would have preferred extra-time and penalties rather than a replay. “Don’t ask me, I am new in your beautiful country. You have to ask the brilliant brains behind the decisions.”