Newcastle United 0, Manchester City 2 (FA Cup Quarter Final)
Birthday boy Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling were on target as Manchester City beat Newcastle United 2-0 to book an FA Cup semi final with Arsenal.
Embed from Getty ImagesDe Bruyne, who turned 29 today, was on target from the penalty spot, and Sterling chipped in with a second half goal to kill the tie after Dwight Gayle missed a golden chance to level it.
United made four changes and switched to a back five with Andy Carroll coming into the side as they sought to frustrate their visitors.
There were four changes in total for holders City with Ederson, Fernandinho, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva replaced by Claudio Bravo, Nicolas Otamendi, David Silva, and Gabriel Jesus.
Fernandinho was suspended but Pep Guardiola signalled his intention to win some silverware by naming a very strong side.
City started strongly against a Newcastle side reluctant to attack with chances by Benjamin Mendy and Riyad Mahrez going wide of the mark.
Kevin De Bruyne saw his shot blocked while David Silva’s effort came off Gabriel Jesus to go wide – as did Mahrez – while Raheem Sterling was too close to Karl Darlow to beat him.
Sterling forced another save out of Darlow and the Magpies survived until the 35 minutes under intense pressure until Gabriel Jesus was pushed in the area by Fabian Schar.
Kevin De Bruyne celebrates birthday with penalty as Manchester City beat Newcastle United
De Bruyne stepped up and, on his 29th birthday, coolly rolled the ball past Darlow who dived the wrong way, for his 12th goal of the season.
Aymeric Laporte’s header was wide of the post as City continued the pressure while the Magpies could barely trouble City.
The Magpies switched to a back four in the second half to get more support up to Carroll but continued to struggle. Mahrez blazed over with a ranged shot
Changes were afoot as Newcastle started to edge back into the game, with Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden replacing David Silva and Riyad Mahrez while Carroll and Miguel Almiron were replaced by Dwight Gayle and Joelinton.
Allan Saint-Maximim created the golden chance to equalise after he squared across the face of goal but saw the chance blazed over by Gayle from six yards out with the goal at his mercy after a lapse in concentration by Otamendi in the 66th minute.
Tha Magpies paid for that miss when Raheem Sterling curled City’s second shortly after that.
A crossfield pass by Laporte to Foden allowed the youngster to release Sterling who cut inside and curled in City’s second goal from 20 yards out – his 22nd goal of the season.
Joao Cancelo and Rodri came on to replace Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne as Pep Guardiola rested key players ahead of the visit of Liverpool on Thursday.
Benjamin Mendy’s cross was turned behind by Federico Fernandez as City almost added a third with Newcastle still downbeat after the double blow and unable to get any momentum.
Foden’s bright cameo continued when he shot wide with the game drifting while Sterling almost got on the end of a delicious Ilkay Gundogan cross while Mendy’s cross was missed by everyone and Gundogan’s free kick went wide as City piled on the late pressure.
Manchester United, who beat Norwich City yesterday, were paired with Chelsea in the other semi final – setting up a possible all-Manchester final.
GOALS – Newcastle Utd 0, Manchester City 2
Newcastle Utd 0, Man City 1: 37. Kevin De Bruyne rolled his spot kick inside the left side of the net after sending Karl Darlow the wrong way after Gabriel Jesus had been pushed by Fabian Schar in the Newcastle area – a penalty confirmed by VAR.
Newcastle Utd 0, Man City 2: 68. A crossfield pass by Aymeric Laporte to Phil Foden allowed the youngster to release Raheem Sterling who cut inside and curled in City’s second goal from 20 yards out.
MATCH STATS – Newcastle Utd 0, Manchester City 2
Newcastle Utd: Darlow, Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez, Rose (Lazaro 75), Saint-Maximin (Yedlin 75), Hayden (Matty Longstaff 79), Sean Longstaff, Almiron (Joelinton 64, Carroll (Gayle 64)
Newcastle Utd Subs not used: Dubravka, Shelvey, Muto, Krafth
Booking: Carroll 61 (foul on Aymeric Laporte), Joelinton
Man City: Bravo, Walker (Cancelo 71), Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy, De Bruyne (Rodri 71), Gundogan, David Silva (Bernardo Silva 64), Mahrez (Foden 64), Sterling, Jesus
Man City subs not used: Ederson, Stones, Zinchenko, Sane, Harwood-Bellis
Goals: De Bruyne pen 37; Sterling 68
Referee: Lee Mason