Aguero fires City past Wednesday in the FA Cup

Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup quarter finals with a 1-0 win over Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. 

Sergio Aguero’s 53rd minute strike separated the two sides but in truth the scoreline did not reflect the dominance enjoyed by the the defending champions. The visitors enjoyed 80 per cent possession and mustered 20 shots on goal, however a lack of cutting edge saw them fail to put Wednesday to the sword.

Ironically it was the home side who created the first clear cut opportunity, seven minutes in. Jacob Murphy cut inside from the right wing and shot powerfully with his left foot; although a deflection took it wide, a goal kick was incorrectly awarded. This would be the only shot on goal the Owls would have all evening.

Two minutes later Benjamin Mendy drilled a low cross into the box and somehow Sergio Aguero failed to make contact with the ball despite being unmarked.

Gabriel Jesus was the next person to miss a gilt edged chance, nodding wide of the target from a John Stones cross. Before Riyad Mahrez blasted over the crossbar from the edge of the area after a poor clearance from a Mendy cross.

The best chance of the half came just after the half hour mark when Nicolás Otamendi headed a Mahrez freekick against the bar.

The second half saw more attacking intensity from City straight away and as a result they created a flurry of chances in quick succession. David Silva and Aguero both tested Joe Wildsmith early on before Mendy brought the best out of the young goalkeeper. The full back smashed an effort at goal from the left hand side of the penalty area, after being teed up by Silva, only to see Wildsmith push the ball onto the bar with his fingertips.

Just as City began to think that the woodwork was destined to deny them a goal all night long, Aguero, as he so often does, provided the crucial breakthrough. An inch perfect pass from Mendy found Aguero goal side of his marker in the penalty area; one touch saw him get the ball out of his feet and his second was a powerful left footed shot that Wildsmith couldn’t stop despite getting a hand to it.

There was an expectation that this goal would open the floodgates but the hosts were resolute in their defence and determined not to be on the receiving end of an embarrassing scoreline.This was despite Mahrez’s persistent potshots at goal. Each time he found Wildsmith more than equal to his efforts.

With the scoreline still 1-0 the Owls occasionally ventured forward and threatened to grab a dramatic late equaliser with substitute Steven Fletcher twice agonisingly close to making telling contact to dangerous balls into the box.

It wasn’t to be though and City got the reward their performance deserved: a quarter final tie against Newcastle United as they bid to successfully defend the FA Cup for the first time in their history.

Sheff Weds lineup: Wildsmith, Murphy, Palmer,Iorfa, Börner, Fox, Lee, Pelupessy, Bannan, Da Cruz, Forestieri

Lees for Börner 45

Fletcher on for Forestieri 56

Hunt for Lee 63

Unused subs: K Harris, Nuhiu, Dawson, Hunt, Urhoghide

Man City lineup: Bravo, Cancelo, Stones, Otamendi, Mendy, Rodrigo, Silva, Bernardo, Mahrez, G Jesus, Aguero

Sterling for Aguero 86

Unused subs: Ederson, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Fernandinho, Foden, Garcia

Attendance: 20,995