Manchester City vs. Sheffield Wednesday: Score, Grades and Reaction from FA Cup
Manchester City found a late winner to beat Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1, at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday in their FA Cup third-round clash. The Owls put in a valiant effort to hold off wave after wave of attacks, but ultimately suffered heartbreak with minutes left to play.
The Citizens made a bright start, with Frank Lampard and Bacary Sagna combining well to set up Stevan Jovetic, whose effort was blocked for a corner. Sheffield looked nervy at the start, likely remembering the drubbing they took against the defending Premier League champions in September.
James Milner found Jovetic in the centre of the pitch but timed his pass just a little too late, sending his team-mate offside. Jesus Navas then produced an excellent shot, which nearly clipped the bar before flying over.
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It seemed like only a matter of time before the hosts would grab the lead, but the goal fell on the other end, shocking the Etihad into silence. Stevie May made an excellent run down the wing before finding Atdhe Nuhiu, who slotted home past Willy Caballero. Bleacher Report UK was in disbelief:
MailOnline Sport couldn't help taking a shot at City's backup defenders:
The hosts were visibly shaken by the setback and briefly conceded possession to Sheffield, but as the first half wore on, they reestablished their dominance. Jovetic made another fantastic run to set up Lampard, whose flick just missed the target with goalkeeper Chris Kirkland frozen on the goal line.
Official Michael Oliver didn't exactly endear himself to the home crowd due to his lenient stance on harsh fouls, with Jovetic in particular unlucky not to win a free-kick on the edge of the box.
Stopper Kirkland showed his form when he denied Jovetic from close range, but the flag had already gone up for offside. The Citizens' Twitter feed noticed the hosts hardly tested the Owls goalkeeper:
The final 15 minutes of the first half produced little of note, and under a loud chorus of groans, the two teams made their way to the dressing room. Bet365 noted Wednesday were emulating their city rivals, who defeated Premier League side Queens Park Rangers earlier in the day:
Manuel Pellegrini didn't make any changes to start the second half, and the performance of the home side didn't improve, either. Sheffield wanted a penalty after 50 minutes, but Oliver didn't see an incident during a scramble in the box.
City played with more urgency but produced little of note, and with the crowd becoming restless, Pellegrini introduced David Silva and Samir Nasri after an hour to swing the outcome of the match. Citywire's Craig Nicholson couldn't believe the defending Premier League champions had to resort to playing their stars in this tie:
The breakthrough came just minutes later. Nasri dribbled his way to some space and picked out Silva, who laid it off nicely for Milner. The England international kept his composure and put the ball past Kirkland for a much-needed equaliser, giving himself the perfect birthday present, per Squawka Football:
The goal appeared to deflate the visitors completely, and City pushed ahead immediately to grab a late winner. The Etihad was nearly stunned for a second time, however, as Yaya Toure lost the ball in midfield and Liam Palmer hit the side netting.
Milner continued his hard work and had two chances to gift his team the lead in a span of minutes, seeing his first effort blocked before inexplicably deciding to play a cut-back from excellent shooting position, with no one there to receive the ball.
Navas had to make a key tackle late to break down a dangerous counterattack, and despite City's relentless pressure, a replay seemed the likely scenario with just five minutes left on the clock. Kirkland made a spectacular save to deny Silva with time running out, via The Yorkshire Post's Dave Craven:
Just as it looked the Owls would earn a well-deserved replay, Milner worked himself free in the centre of the box and guided home Silva's low cross, sending the visiting players down to the pitch in agony. Sheffield deserved better, but football is a harsh game, and instead of a replay, City will be moving on to the fourth round.
Key Match Grades
James Milner: A
One of the few starters who made a solid impression for the hosts, Milner's work rate even against a lower-league side was admirable. His excellent match was rewarded with the equaliser.
Jesus Navas: B
Another starter who can look back on his match with pride, Navas' defensive work made the difference. The Spaniard was solid if unspectacular on the attacking end but tracked back exceptionally well, breaking up several counterattacks late in the match.
Atdhe Nuhiu: B
Nuhiu did so much more than score the opener. A constant menace in chasing the ball, he kept City's defensive duo from moving up the pitch and picking out attackers with their passes.
Post-Match Reaction
Squawka Football praised birthday-boy Milner for his efforts in the win:
Paddy Power could only draw the same conclusion:
The Manchester Evening News' Stuart Brennan was far from convinced by the Citizens' performance:
Pellegrini didn't deny his team gave a poor effort, via the Press Association's Paul Hirst:
He also gave an update on the match-winner's contract situation:
Post-Match Outlook
It wasn't pretty, but City survived a strong effort from Sheffield Wednesday to advance to the next round of the FA Cup.
The Owls can look back on this match with pride, but they'd much rather have held on for a couple of extra minutes and earned a replay against the defending Premier League champions.
