Fernandinho change in approach?
Since at least the day Pep Guardiola walked into Manchester City, Fernandinho has been undroppable.
For all the mentions of his increasing age in an increasingly youthful side, the veteran has for some time outrun and outplayed everyone else every three days with ruthless efficiency.
Ask him if he fancies/needs a rest and you are likely to get a snarl back that he does not like not playing, and Guardiola never likes not playing him - especially after failed attempts to land a successor.
Where other stars were given time off, the Brazilian has almost always started when fit including the FA Cup tie away at Newport.
However, his most recent injury could have seen a change in approach. It was towards the end of an eighth consecutive start when he broke down with a groin problem in the Carabao Cup final and subsequently missed the next five games.
It didn't cost the team in terms of results as it did when he was absent in December, but the sight of him only coming off the bench for a game of this magnitude is perhaps a sign that Guardiola is keeping his principal enforcer ready for bigger tests ahead.
Closer to history
No English team has ever won the Quadruple and, after Saturday's result at Wembley, only one team has gone closer than this City team.
The United side of 2009 lost in the FA Cup semi-finals, meaning only Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in 2007 - whose hopes ended with Champions League semi-final defeat in May - have gone closer.
Liverpool, Barcelona, Tottenham, and Juventus, Watford and Wolves are all teams that can have a say in ending City's hopes of more silverware this season but it deserves to be celebrated that they have come this far.
Another VAR mess
There was outrage at Swansea at the lack of VAR for an FA Cup quarter-final (not so much before the game mind you but after City got a couple of contentious decisions) and even calls for the game to be replayed.
Liverpool FC fans hit back at conspiracy theory after Kyle Walker Man City red card decision
Anyone who has seen the use of technology in action this season would know, however, that it would not necessarily have changed the decision to award Raheem Sterling a penalty, as shown by the incident with Kyle Walker and Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
On top of the contentious nature of the decision, VAR didn't go to plan inside the stadium. Instead of the replays on the big screens that were promised, there came RED CARD in huge letters. It prompted cheers from the Brighton fans, only to later see the word 'checking' above in a much smaller size.
Until there is significant improvement, VAR stands no chance of bringing the clarity it is supposed to.
Man City fans shocked by line up vs Brighton as Benjamin Mendy starts
Man City taking the early route to trophy glory as they book an FA Cup final place
