Not Quite Ten, City 5 vs. 1 Huddersfield [FAC 5th Rnd]

“I am very happy for the result and the two goal but especially for getting through to the next round. ”, Sergio Aguero – 01/03/2017.

Goals: Sané (30' minutes), Agüero (35' minutes pen, 73' minutes), Zabaleta (38' minutes), Iheanacho (90'+1 minutes)

Line Up (4-2-3-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (5.5)
Zabaleta (7)
Stones (6)
Otamendi (6.5)
Clichy (6)
Fernandinho (6.5)
Sterling (8)
DeBruyne (8), (Delph 75'(5.5))
Garcia (7)
Sané (7.5), (Navas 81' (5.5))
Agüero (8.5), (Iheanacho 83' (6))

Referee; Paul Tierney (4.5)

Stats;Possession, 67%/33%; Shots, 16(10)/6(2); Corners, 5/2; Fouls, 8/12

Attendance; 42,425

After a break in the sunshine in Abu Dhabi, it was back to the slightly colder Manchester climate, as City faced Huddersfield for the second time in two weeks in the FA Cup 5th Round Replay. 

The first match had ended in stale-mate with both sides fielding second strings, and the grit and effort of Huddersfield getting a deserved nil nil. Pep was taking no chances tonight as he put out a close to full strength eleven, to make sure of a quarter final place against Middlesbrough on 11th March. 

City could have been two up when Huddersfield got their opener, Sane had hit the post on 4', and City the had a penalty incorrectly ruled out a couple of minutes later when Stankovic directed the ball away from City's strikers with his hand whilst lay on the ground. However, City did not let the goal from City old boy Bunn, put them off their stride, and equalised on 30' with Sane cracking the ball home in the box, following a tricky low cross from Sterling, 1-1 (City again being denied a hand ball penalty in the build up). 

City finally got a penalty through a foul on Otamendi on 35', which Aguero put away confidently, 2-1, and from that point on City never really looked back despite continued attacking intent from a stubborn Huddersfield side, who deserve a lot of praise for the way they played. Eight minutes later, Zabaleta made up for going misisng for the Huddersfield goal by becoming a fox in the box himself and latching onto a deft Aguero cross from the right, 3-1. 

The second half was a calmer affair, but still with a push for more goals from both sides, Huddersfield arguably the quicker out of the blocks.  But it was City, and Aguero again who put the game to bed on 79', with a powful first time effort, again in the box, from Sterlings byline cross, 4-1. Late substitute Iheanacho put the icing on the cake in injury time, striking home from Navas' cross from a marginally offside position, 5-1. 

Whilst the result is obviously a huge plus, it was also good to see Garcia start in a defensive midfield two with Fernandinho, and the youngster acquitting  himself admirably throughout the game, growing in confidence as time went on. And perhaps the biggest bonus was Sergio's performance, as the media continue to speculate on his future, he just continues to do what he does best, score goals, but has also added 10% to his work rate, even when the game was won. Outstanding.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me