Birthday Boy James Milner's Cup Show Sends Contract Message to Manchester City

A James Milner double helped Manchester City to a last-gasp win over Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in their FA Cup third-round tie at the Etihad, keeping alive Manuel Pellegrini’s hopes of becoming only the second foreign manager in history to win all three domestic trophies in England.

Birthday boy Milner, who started on the left but was moved to a lone-striker role at half-time, once again showed his worth with two neat finishes, cancelling out Atdhe Nuhiu’s opener on 16 minutes.

Wednesday had looked comfortable for much of the first half with City struggling to create anything in the way of clear-cut openings, and Nuhiu’s goal was deserved. A quick break down the right saw Stevie May race clear of Eliaquim Mangala and cross to Nuhiu for first-time finish past Willy Caballero.

City improved after the break, but not until the introductions of Samir Nasri and David Silva did they begin to really assert their dominance.

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It was they who combined in the buildup to Milner’s first, with some neat interplay allowing Silva to play a lovely ball into the path of the Englishman, who finished expertly through the legs of Chris Kirkland.

City had further chances to go in front, but only in stoppage time did they take the lead, as Milner slid in and converted a cross from the excellent Jesus Navas.  

Milner’s versatility and quality were in evidence throughout the game, and City are surely desperate to tie him down on a new long-term contract after he recently entered the final six months of his current deal, allowing him to speak to foreign clubs about a possible free transfer in the summer.

There’s been no definite news as yet regarding whether or not he will extend, but Pellegrini, who underused him last season but has since made him a key facet in his side, wants him to stay, saying afterwards: “I hope we will find an arrangement.” 

City cannot allow him to leave for nothing. He has shown consistently this campaign that he is one the club’s best players, with his work rate and often overlooked technical quality making him almost undroppable.

Navas was another who impressed here. His pace was a constant threat down the right, and his deliveries, which are often criticised, were for the most part pinpoint accurate.

His last-ditch tackle on Jacques Maghoma in the closing stages summed up his phenomenal work rate and desire to help out his defenders, and his place in this side, which has sometimes been questioned since he moved to City in the summer of 2013, is being cemented with each game.

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And Pellegrini was full of praise for his flying winger after the game, stressing his importance to the team defensively. “I think on Navas, we are always talking about him in the way he wins the one-on-one and makes the assist, but he works the whole game also, defending very well." 

“He arrives at that ball because when we have a corner he must be on the counter-attack.”

It took Jose Mourinho three seasons to win the full set of domestic trophies in England, but Milner’s two-goal display against Wednesday means Pellegrini remains on course to do it in just two. Maybe, just maybe, if he was to achieve that feat, he might just receive the same level of praise his Portuguese counterpart does.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.