Cardiff City zero-2 Manchester City

Manchester City eased into the FA Cup fifth round with an authoritative get away in opposition to Championship side Cardiff City.

A characterize crowd for Bluebirds video games at the Cardiff City Stadium used to be dumbfounded into silence as Kevin de Bruyne cheekily rolled a free-kick below the jumping wall to present the company a lead, which Raheem True doubled with a header earlier than half of-time.

These dreams bookended a phenomenal Bernardo Silva strike which used to be incorrectly disallowed for offside, which had tiny relating to the nevertheless might perhaps most definitely had been awarded had the video assistant referee (VAR) system been in employ at the match.

City uncared for potentialities to elongate their lead in the 2d half of – notably True being denied by a pretty covering form out by Sean Morrison – nevertheless they had been seldom disquieted by Cardiff, who ended the sport with 10 males after Joe Bennett’s leisurely crimson card.

This used to be a fixture which produced a memorable upset in 1994, as Nathan Blake’s spectacular curling effort gave Cardiff – then struggling in the 1/three tier – a 1-zero recover from top-flight City at Ninian Park.

But there used to be never the likelihood of a shock consequence on this event, with runaway Premier League leaders City progressing to withhold alive their hopes of finishing an remarkable quadruple of main home and European trophies.

City ease via

City overcame a spirited effort from Cardiff’s Championship rivals Bristol City in a keenly contested Carabao Cup semi-remaining on Tuesday evening, with supervisor Pep Guardiola fulsome in his praise for Lee Johnson’s males over two legs.

The dilapidated Barcelona boss used to be also cautious of the possibility Cardiff would pose, looking out at their 1/three-round replay recover from Mansfield from the stands and remarking that his City avid gamers would must be on their toes in opposition to a Welsh side who would play « quite loads of lengthy balls ».

There used to be absolutely a country enthusiasm to Cardiff’s manner, though it proved pricey as Joe Ralls’ heavy form out on Ilkay Gundogan ended in the free-kick which De Bruyne cleverly stroked below the jumping wall and into the bottom nook.

Cardiff pressed their opponents in wide positions nevertheless left spaces in midfield, which the likes of De Bruyne, Gundogan and Silva exploited ruthlessly.

After the frustration of getting a aim disallowed, Silva scampered down the left waft and delivered a phenomenal swinging unsuitable to True, who nodded in from end fluctuate to effectively break the tie off earlier than the destroy.

The first half of ended on a bitter sign for City as Leroy Sane used to be the sufferer of a unpleasant, studs-up hideous from Bennett, who used to be lucky handiest to gain a yellow card for the form out which forced the German winger off at half of-time.

Sane’s departure had no relating to the and neither did City’s incapability to elongate their lead despite 2d-half of potentialities for True and Silva.

The place used to be VAR when wanted?

City’s progress never appeared uncertain nevertheless there used to be a 2d of genuine confusion when Silva’s aim used to be disallowed in the fundamental half of.

After smashing the ball in off the crossbar, the Portuguese jogged off to have a good time nevertheless stopped after realising referee Lee Mason used to be pointing to his assistant, who raised his flag having deemed Leroy Sane to be in an offside location.

Replays confirmed that, in point of fact, Sane used to be no longer offside and, though Mason discussed the topic further alongside with his assistant, the VAR skills used to be no longer readily available to them for this match and the aim failed to stand.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer said: « Leroy Sane is no longer offside in any appreciate so he cant be interfering with play. For that incident VAR would be worthwhile because it be fact, no longer an understanding. In that predicament, I’m all in favour of it. »

The inability of clarity used to be in distinction to West Brom’s FA Cup get at Liverpool on Saturday, in which referee Craig Pawson dominated out an Albion aim, gave Liverpool a penalty and delayed awarding the company’ 1/three aim thanks to VAR referrals.

Warnock v Guardiola

The variation between the teams mirrored an fascinating clash of kinds in the dugout, with Cardiff supervisor Neil Warnock – infamous for building ruggedly effective Championship sides – taking on Guardiola, the architect of a few of the most aesthetically dazzling teams in most up-to-date football history.

Warnock described City because the expedient crew in Europe in the affect-up to this match and joked that his avid gamers had been making ready for the sport – and City’s inevitable dominance – by practicing with out a ball.

It proved to be a prescient quip, because the house side needed to toil for lengthy sessions, struggling to construct a glove on their classy opponents.

Cardiff did have a handful of potentialities – Junior Hoilett seeing a powerfully-struck volley practically fumbled over his non-public line by Claudio Bravo and then fizzing another effort narrowly over – nevertheless they’d no longer in actual fact peril City.

Their eagerness in most cases strayed into recklessness, similar to Bennett’s aforementioned unpleasant hideous on Sane and a slipshod reveal on Sergio Aguero which earned Bruno Ecuele Manga a booking.

Bennett used to be belatedly despatched off for a 2d yellow card after fouling Brahim Diaz in added time nevertheless there used to be no disgrace in Cardiff shedding to a City side who’ve loved the same dominance over a ways expedient teams this season.

Man of the match – Bernardo Silva

No upset for Pep again – Key stats

• Following Kevin De Bruyne’s opener, Manchester City now have five avid gamers to have scored no longer decrease than 10 dreams in all competitions this season, more than another English league side (Aguero, True, Sane, Jesus, De Bruyne).
• Cardiff City have improved correct as soon as from their remaining eleven FA Cup ties in opposition to sides from the next division, remaining beating then Premier League side Middlesbrough, support in 2008.
• As a supervisor, Pep Guardiola has lost correct as soon as in 22 conferences with sides from a decrease division (W19 D2), with that sole defeat coming in a Copa Del Rey match in opposition to Loyal Betis support in January 2011.
• Raheem True’s aim used to be his first headed aim in any membership rivals since Boxing Day 2015, in a Premier League game in opposition to Sunderland.
• Bernardo Silva has been instantly involved about 9 dreams (three dreams, 6 assists) in his remaining Thirteen video games in all competitions, this after failing to register a single aim or support in any of the 12 video games sooner than this trot.

‘I’m so proud’ – supervisor reaction

Manchester City supervisor Pep Guardiola: « There are no words to characterize my pride about my avid gamers and my crew after so many video games with no relaxation and due to injuries.

« A few avid gamers have completed quite loads of minutes, nevertheless again they had been ready. I in actuality feel something special about that. Taking part in in the FA Cup away in opposition to Championship teams in top of league, adore Cardiff are at the 2d, is so sophisticated, we reacted adore a outdated crew. I’m so proud.

« We’re in the device and I am hoping we can have a crew at home. »

Cardiff City supervisor Neil Warnock: « We knew there would be a distinction in college and so that they did no longer disappointment me.

« In the event that they had our potentialities we would wish scored two or three.

« We had some fair correct potentialities, nevertheless that lack of effective confirmed the variation in college. But I in actuality loved it, we would have with out complications long gone below nevertheless all credit rating to the boys they stuck in there. »

Up next…

Manchester City are in action on Wednesday on what’s transfer decrease-off date day. Guardiola’s side host West Bromwich Albion in a 20:00 GMT kick-off. Cardiff return to Championship action on Saturday at Leeds United (15:00).