Man City keep quadruple dream alive with 2-0 win over Cardiff
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ByEurosport
Updated 28/01/2018 at 21:05 GMT
FA Cup, Cardiff City Stadium – Cardiff City 0, Manchester City 2 (De Bruyne 8, Sterling 38)
Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round between Cardiff City and Manchester City on January 28, 2018 in Cardiff, United Kingdom
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester City eased through to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Cardiff, who had defender Joe Bennett sent off late on.
A sell-out crowd at the Cardiff City Stadium was silenced in the eighth minute when Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring with a clever free-kick from the edge of the penalty area.
Bernardo Silva thought he had doubled the visitors' lead but his fine strike was bizarrely ruled out as Leroy Sane was adjudged to be in line of the goalkeeper's sight.
It wasn't long before City had a second to celebrate however as Raheem Sterling was left unmarked to head in from Danilo's inch-perfect cross to end a run of four games without scoring.
But while City’s attacking football was typically vibrant, the big talking point of the game was a horror tackle by Bennett on Sane, for which he avoided a straight red card – much to the City coaching staff’s frustration.
Bennett did finally receive his marching orders, but that didn’t stop Pep Guardiola from confronting the referee on the pitch at the final whistle about the earlier challenge.
City’s win keeps their chances of an unprecedented quadruple alive.
TALKING POINT
The injury to Sane: His side are still competing for four different trophies so the last thing Guardiola needed was an injury to Sane who was forced off at the break after Bennett's horror tackle.
The Spaniard showed his respect for the FA Cup by naming such a strong side and while he was rewarded with a convincing display, he may have to make do without one of his key attackers for some important matches, depending on the severity of the injury.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Kevin De Bryune (Manchester City) - The Belgian produced a masterclass performance in midfield, opening the scoring with his 10th goal of the season and terrorising the hosts with a number of defence-splitting passes. At his best, the 26-year-old is simply unplayable.
PLAYER RATINGS
Cardiff: Etheridge 7, Manga 6, Morrison 7, Paterson 6, Richards 6, Grujic 5, Ralls 5, Bennett 4, Mendez-Laing 6, Hoilett 7, Zohore 7. Subs: Feeney 6, Pilkington 6, Halford, Damour N/A.
Manchester City: Bravo 6, Walker 7, Kompany 7, Otamendi 7, Danilo 8, De Bruyne 9, Fernandinho 7, Gundogan 7, Bernardo Silva 7, Sterling 8, Sane 6. Subs: Aguero 6, Diaz N/A.
KEY MOMENTS
8' - GOAL! Cardiff 0-1 Manchester City (De Bruyne): We have lift off! De Bruyne steps up to take the free-kick, drills it low, the wall jumps and the ball ends up in the bottom left-hand corner of Etheridge's goal. The Belgian is in double figures for the season.
24' - GOAL RULED OUT! Mass confusion, even without VAR! Bernardo Silva thinks he has doubled City's lead with a fine strike from inside the box, but Lee Mason rules the goal out for offside! Apparently Sane was in the goalkeeper's line of sight. Mason took some time to make the decision, after consulting his assistant.
37' - GOAL! Cardiff 0-2 Manchester City (Sterling): Sterling, the smallest player on the pitch, is left unmarked in the penalty box to head home a terrific ball from Danilo on the left channel. It ends a run of four games without a goal for the Englishman who nets his 19th of the season.
44' - NASTY TACKLE! City break from a Cardiff corner. De Bruyne feeds Sane who goes on a long, mazy run but he's hacked down cynically by Bennett just as he is about to burst into the penalty area. The Cardiff man receives a booking, but he's fortunate it isn't a straight red - it really was a nasty challenge.
68' - INCHES WIDE! Cardiff go close, very close! Hoilett is allowed to cut inside onto his stronger right foot, he curls the ball towards goal, Bravo looks beaten, but it drifts just wide of the post.
75' - CHANCE! Wow, what a remarkable pass from De Bruyne! The Belgian delivers the perfect through-pass to Sterling who is left one-on-one with the goalkeeper but Etheridge is off his line quickly to make the block.
90'+2 - RED CARD! Bennett, who probably should have been sent off for his foul on Sane in the first period, receives a second yellow for a late tackle on Diaz.
KEY STATS
- Raheem Sterling's goal was his first headed goal in any club competition since Boxing Day 2015, in a Premier League game against Sunderland.
- Man City now have five players to have scored at least 10 goals in all competitions this season, more than any other English league side (Aguero, Sterling, Sané, Jesus and De Bruyne).
- Cardiff last met Manchester City in the FA Cup in January 1994, when they knocked out their top-flight opponents as a third-tier side.
- This was the 50th meeting between these two sides. Manchester City lead by 21 wins to Cardiff's nine, with 20 draws.
- Cardiff have won just one of their previous eight home matches in the FA Cup, beating Colchester United 3-1 in January 2015.
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