City off to Wembley again

Manchester City progress to second FA Cup Semi Final in three seasons.

Thanks to the ball warmer`s at the FA, a resurgent City await the winners of the re-match between an inconsistent Chelsea and a United team still reeling from their inability to react when things don`t go their way in the Champion`s League. Having sacrificed a comfortable 2-0 lead at home to the lads from the Kings Road, United now face a trip to their home fan`s heartland if they want to face the team that dumped them out of the FA Cup the last time they reached the Semi Final stage. As rag fans pick over the bones of yet another match where they failed to hold onto a lead on home turf and prefer to deflect attention by focusing on Rafahandshakegate, the Blues can look back at another FA Cup victory achieved with minimal fuss and a professional job done.

City`s disposal of a spirited Barnsley side was a measure of the progress that the club has made over the past few years. In days past ties such as this would have represented a banana skin which the players in Sky Blue seemed only too willing to step on. But with Tevez seemingly having relocated his shooting boots City fans nerves were quickly settled by his eleventh minute opener and the team never looked back. With Tevez scoring two more and laying on a sumptuous pass to set up Kolarov City never looked like conceding and maintained their impressive record of clean sheets in the competition.

With Blackburn and Millwall also facing a replay, Wigan can instead continue to ponder the stunning few minutes which saw them put Everton to the sword at Goodison Park in the early kick off on Saturday. Roberto Martinez`s charges never seriously looked under threat after they took maximum advantage of a poor performance by the Toffees.

Overall, having dealt imperiously with Chelsea at the Etihad recently as well as beating them in the Community Shield season opener, and shown massive heart and resilience against United in the home derby only to lose by the thinnest of deflections City fans will now be relishing the trip to the capital next month.

The semi-final ties will take place over the weekend of 13th and 14th April.


UPCOMING FIXTURES:
all times East Manchester

Sa 16Mar 12h45 Everton, Goodison Park, PL
Sa 30Mar 15h00 Newcastle, The Etihad, PL
Mo 08Apr 20h00 The Rags, The Swamp, PL
Mo 15 Apr 20h00 West Brom, The Etihad, PL
Su 21 Apr 13h30 Spurs, White Hart Lane, PL
Sa 27 Apr 12h45 West Ham United, The Etihad, PL
Sa 04 May 15h00 Swansea, The Liberty Stadium, PL
Su 12 May 15h00 Reading, The Madejski Stadium, PL
Su 19 May 16h00 Norwich City, The Etihad, PL

City vs Wigan To Be Rearranged

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