MAN CITY 4, LEEDS UNITED 0.
On another weekend of shocks in the FA Cup with Budweiser, Manchester City had no difficulty defeating npower Championship club Leeds United.
It was a routine fifth-round victory for the Premier League giants, one which was secured in the opening quarter of an hour.
Goals from Yaya Toure and a penalty by Sergio Aguero left Leeds facing a mountain to scale as another giant killing act was never going to materialise.
That was reinforced in the second half when Carlos Tevez and Aguero added further goals for City who breezed into the quarter final to ease the pressure which has been mounting on manager Roberto Mancini.
City’s manager was delighted with his side’s performance saying he hopes it reignites their fading challenge to retain their Premier League title.
He said: “I am happy and it was important to win after Southampton (City lost 3-1 last weekend).
“The FA Cup is difficult as Arsenal showed yesterday and every game in difficult if you don’t approach it right. And every team plays like it is the final of the Champions League.
“In Italy a game like this is a brodino (soup starter) and hopefully we can go on to win in the Premier League.
“If Sergio plays like this to the end of the season, and our other strikers continue to score a lot of goals, the championship is not finished.”
City made an early breakthrough opening the scoring in the fifth minute following a delightful interchange of one-two passes involving Yaya Toure, David Silva and Carlos Tevez and ending with Toure bursting clear and rounding keeper Jamie Ashdown to score.
The second goal came from the penalty spot after Aguero was hauled back by Tom Lees with the Argentinean picking himself up to smash home the spot kick.
Ashdown saved well to deny Yaya Toure while Javier Garcia glanced a header narrowly wide as City could have added to their goal tally.
City added a third goal to seal victory early in the second period when Silva released Aguero whose cross from the left byline was converted by Tevez from almost on the goalline.
They came within a whisker of scoring a fourth when Yaya Toure’s shot was parried by Ashdown and substitute Jack Rodwell, following up, headed again the crossbar from six yards.
Aguero found the net with 16 minutes left as City finally found the net for a fourth time.
Silva provided the assist with a sublime lob overt the Leeds defence as Aguero raced clear to steer a shot low to the left of Ashdown.
Leeds’ keeper prevented substitute Edin Dzeko from adding a fifth goal when he turned how low drive round the post for a corner while Pablo Zabaleta’s flick flashed just wide of the upright.