For the umpteenth time in his glittering Manchester City career Sergio Agüero ensured the tale of this tie had a happy ending for the holders. His second-half winner took them into the quarter-finals and secured the striker a remarkable 254th goal for the club.
This puts City’s record goalscorer one ahead of Wayne Rooney’s all-time mark for Manchester United – in five fewer years – and is a 23rd of another standout season, the most in all competitions by any Premier League player. City were handed a trip to Newcastle in the draw held here after the game.
“The important thing is that we are there,” Pep Guardiola said. “This is our fourth game away in a row and we have another one at Old Trafford.”
This is the derby against Manchester United on Sunday for which Kevin De Bruyne is an injury scare. “He fell down in a bad position in his back,” Guardiola said. “We don’t know how long [he is out]. I don’t know [if he is out for the United game].”
Guardiola made six changes from Sunday’s XI who secured the Carabao Cup, though a team including Agüero, David Silva and Rodri remained formidable. This was particularly true for Sheffield Wednesday who had won only once in their previous eight outings, Garry Monk selected the 24-year-old Joe Wildsmith in goal for his first appearance since August 2018.
Hillsborough was far from full, perhaps in protest at Wednesday’s form. A pity as Monk’s men took the contest to their visitors when possible – a burst from Jacob Murphy drawing a foul owing to an Otamendi bodycheck.
As the tie moved towards the half-hour mark Riyad Mahrez was set up and really should not have blasted over. Neither should Julian Börner have headed out for a City corner when the safety of Wildsmith’s hands beckoned.
A further scare came when Mahrez floated in a free-kick and Otamendi beat Wildsmith with a deft header but not the bar. City were moving closer though Agüero could still miscontrol a standard ball in to him, and John Stones had to scurry to clear close to Claudio Bravo’s area. Missing was the devilish invention and spark of a high-end City display.
So far there had been only the odd threat to Wildsmith’s goal: a concern for Guardiola but not for Monk, who watched Stones’s stooping header bounce over just before the whistle for the break.
A quickfire Bernardo Silva cross and Agüero shot immediately following half-time suggested Guardiola had reminded his side they are defending this trophy. But when the No 10 was caught offside moments later the manager threw up his hands in frustration at was threatening to become the story of his team’s evening.
The sense was heightened when David Silva rolled the ball to Benjamin Mendy and Wildsmith’s fingertips pushed the ball on to the bar. Now, though, the left-back turned creator, threading a pass to Agüero for the marksman to break the deadlock, a pivot and shot that beat Wildsmith despite the keeper getting a hand to it.
From here the expectation was for City to strangle the contest with keep-ball play, while adding to the score. And though Otamendi had to be sharp to head an interception when Fernando Forestieri looked to run clear from halfway, those in the yellow and orange shirts did now toy with Wednesday. Stones would have doubled the lead if not for Wildsmith’s reflexes.
A sweeping sequence that took Benjamin Mendy along the left and came close to setting up Agüero was City in smooth gear. Stones falling into Bravo’s goal as Steven Fletcher threatened to equalise was not.
This had Wednesday fans raising the roof and Guardiola’s men in frantic mode. It did not last and when Raheem Sterling came on for Agüero it was hardly encouragement for Monk’s side.
“We understood how hard it was going to be,” the Wednesday manager said:
