Sergio Agüero goal takes Manchester City past stubborn Sheffield Wednesday

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. Guardiola made six changes from Sunday’s XI that claimed the Carabao Cup, though a team including Sergio Agüero, David Silva and Rodri remained formidable.

This was true particularly for a Sheffield Wednesday that had won only once in their last eight outings, Garry Monk’s side sitting in 12th in the Championship, eight points from a play-off position. The manager selected the 24-year-old Joe Wildsmith in goal for his first appearance since August 2018.

At kick-off, though, Wednesday would have seen some hope in the pairing of Nicolás Otamendi and John Stones in central defence for the first time since September: an indication of their vulnerability. Last week however City were schooling Real Madrid at the Bernabéu and they had won their last four games, so Dominic Iorfa allowing Agüero in early on was not what they needed, though the defender recovered and hustled the striker off the ball.

Better for the Owls was when a Riyad Mahrez corner became a Wednesday breakaway and Benjamin Mendy was forced to foul Fernando Forestieri. They did not capitalise from the free-kick – taken by their playmaker Barry Bannan – yet City had been rattled.

Hillsborough was far from full, perhaps in protest at Wednesday’s poor form. A pity as Monk’s men took the contest to their visitors when possible. The next burst from Jacob Murphy drew another foul, this time due to an Otamendi bodycheck.

City are relentless, of course. As the match moved towards the half-hour mark the familiar sight of the ball being relayed in and around Wednesday had them moving from their territory to near goal. 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 He will have been relieved neither this nor a second mistake from the opposite left quadrant did not presage his team conceding.

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 mis-control a standard ball in to him, and Stones later had to scurry to clear close to Claudio Bravo’s area.

Missing was the devilish invention and spark of a high-end City display. As the interval approached Guardiola may have prepared instructions for his side to up concentration and tempo in the second half.

So far there had been only the odd threat to Wildsmith’s goal: a concern for Guardiola but not for Monk, who saw 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 his hands in a frustration that was threatening to become the tale 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 something on this.

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 Forestieri looked to run clear from halfway, those in the yellow and orange shirts did now toy with Wednesday.

If this was an unwanted kind of vindication for the sparse home support – announced as 20,900 – Stones would have doubled the lead if not for Wildsmith’s reflexes.

A sweeping sequence that took Mendy along the left and came close to setting up Agüero – again – 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. But it did not last and when Raheem Sterling came on for Agüero this was hardly encouragement for Monk’s men. By the end this was a job well done by City.

source: theguardian.com