MAN CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 0
WEMBLEY Stadium may have been Pep Guardiola’s home away from home in his eight seasons in English football, but this year’s targets for Manchester City extend way beyond yet another FA Cup semi-final appearance at the historic old ground.
An effortless 2-0 win over struggling Newcastle carried Guardiola and City through to a record sixth successive FA Cup semi-final and his seventh in eight attempts.
Indeed, the only FA Cup tie Guardiola has ever lost outside Wembley came in a shock fifth round defeat at Wigan, of all places, in 2018.
Bernardo Silva’s two deflected goals mean City will be looking to improve on their record of just two victories in those previous six semi outings, in the process booking a return to the Twin Towers for what would be Guardiola’s third FA Cup Final in May.
But the veteran manager, who has also won four EFL Cup Finals, appeared in four Community Shields and beaten Spurs twice in two league games at Wembley, will have his eye on another fixture there at the start of June.
This season’s Champions League Final takes place at Wembley, by which stage City could be on the verge of an incredible treble for a second successive season, although this week’s draw for that competition has not been kind.
City will have to face Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the semis although, arguably more daunting, they first have to get past old rivals Real Madrid, having been drawn against them for a third consecutive season in the last eight.
“In my case, four times in five years since I’m here,” said City’s inspirational midfielder Rodri. “Yeah, we like Madrid. My home, my city. It is what it is.
“To be honest I loved what happened [in the draw] – the second game at home was the key, for me,
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