MAHREZ KEEPS Hat-trick hero takes centre
RIYAD MAHREZ scored a Wembley hat-trick to keep Manchester City on course for the Treble. Mahrez capped a momentous week in City’s bid for immortality by booking the Blues’ place in the FA Cup Final.
Pep Guardiola’s men had already seen table-toppers Arsenal drop valuable points in their quest to take the title away from The Etihad.
And on Wednesday night, City booked a last-four Champions League showdown with Real Madrid by keeping Bayern Munich at bay in Germany.
City didn’t look back after Mahrez had fired them into the lead on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot.
The Algerian then struck twice in the space of five second-half minutes to really put Paul Heckingbottom’s promotionchasing Blades to the sword.
Mahrez became the first player since 1958 to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final.
And Guardiola, whose team are the first since Everton in 1966 to reach the final without conceding a goal, said: “Riyad plays good in decisive games and non-decisive games.
“He just loves football. He has an amateur spirit. He doesn’t come here, do his job and just go home. He loves it.
“Riyad is grumpy with me when he doesn’t play – and he makes me notice when he’s grumpy.
“That’s why I am so happy for him now. He has given so much to City – and hopefully he will continue in the future.”
City will face either Manchester United or Brighton in June’s final – and wouldn’t it be ironic if their bitter rivals grasped the chance to stop Guardiola emulating Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1999 legends?
First up, it is Arsenal at The
Etihad onwednesday in a contest that could be decisive in the title race.
After losing the last three semi-finals, Guardiola resisted the temptation to rest too many players ahead of City’s crunch with the Gunners. Kevin De Bruyne,
Rodri, Ruben Dias, John Stones and Ederson were able to rest their legs on the bench but Erling Haaland, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva started.
The Blades had been weakened by the unavailability of Tommy Doyle and James Mcatee, the two City starlets who have helped put them within touching distance of the Premier League during their season-long loan.
The Championship side were game enough but couldn’t lay a glove on a City team so intent on keeping the ball and controlling the pace that at times they enjoyed 80 percent possession.
The Blades did get a glimpse of the champions’ chin in the third minute – when Ollie Norwood’s corner was headed down by Jon Egan and Iliman Ndiaye found himself with a clear sight of goal on the six-yard box. But the
Senegalese international didn’t get a clean connection.
Then Blades striker Daniel Jebbison, defending his own box, was tempted into taking a swipe at the ball and connected with Bernardo Silva’s ankles.
With 48-goal Haaland opting not to step up after missing from the spot in Munich, it was left to Mahrez to find the corner.
And Mahrez made the game safe on the hour with a brilliant run. A drop of the shoulder took Egan out of the game before his low finish gave Foderingham no chance.
Five minutes later, Mahrez claimed the match ball after Jack Grealish spotted the winger making a move into the box and he marched on to the low cross and swept it home.
PREVIEW TO BRIGHTON v MAN UNITED: TURN TO PAGES 64-65