Riyad Mahrez has scored a hat-trick as Manchester City snapped their losing streak in FA Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 stroll over second-tier Sheffield United at Wembley.
After exiting at the semi-final stage for the last three seasons, Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing side were not about to suffer the same fate and won without requiring top gear on Saturday.
Championship promotion hopefuls United began brightly and frustrated City for most of the first half but Mahrez fired City ahead from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute.
Mahrez then waltzed through some flimsy defending to make it 2-0 in the 61st minute and completed his hat-trick five minutes later with a clinical finish from Jack Grealish’s low cross.
It was the first FA Cup semi-final hat-trick since Alex Dawson for Manchester United against Fulham in 1958.
City have not conceded a goal in reaching the FA Cup final for a 12th time where they could face Manchester United in what would be the first all-Manchester clash in the showpiece.
United are up against Brighton & Hove Albion in the other semi on Sunday.
With the tie safely in the bag, Guardiola substituted Grealish and goal machine Erling Haaland with one eye on Wednesday’s looming Premier League showdown with Arsenal.
City are also in the semi-finals of the Champions League where they will face Spanish holders Real Madrid.
It proved a disappointing day for Sheffield United who last won the FA Cup almost 100 years ago, although the Yorkshire club’s priority will be sealing promotion back to the top flight after being relegated in 2021.
Guardiola had spoken of the fatigue of his side’s relentless fixture schedule in the build-up to the semi-final.
But apart from a couple of anxious moments in the opening minutes, one of which saw Iliman Ndiaye denied from close range by the legs of City’s second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Moreno, this was about as stress-free as it gets.
The gulf in class between the two sides was summed up by City’s 79 per cent possession and by the fact that Moreno was largely a spectator against a side second in the Championship.
United thought they would arrive at halftime level with the English champions but a poorly-timed tackle by Daniel Jebbison on Bernardo Silva gave referee Stuart Attwell an easy decision.
Mahrez slotted the kick home to send City in ahead and the Algerian could hardly believe his luck just past the hour when he picked the ball up in the centre circle and sauntered through unchallenged to shoot past Wes Foderingham.
Grealish then dazzled United’s defence before cutting back a pass for Mahrez to convert.
In the Premier League, Mohamed Salah’s winner has boosted Liverpool’s outside chances of a top-four finish in the Premier League in a 3-2 home win against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
Salah struck his 16th Premier League goal of the season on Saturday after Forest had twice hit back to level.
The back-to-back wins have lifted Liverpool to within six points of fourth-placed Newcastle with seven games remaining.
Forest responded to Diogo Jota’s second-half double with equalisers from former Liverpool defender Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White, but Steve Cooper’s side slipped to second-bottom, one point from safety.
“We gave away two goals too easy and in a game like this you have to control possession,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, celebrating his 100th league win at Anfield.
Defeat increased the pressure on his Forest counterpart Steve Cooper in an 11-game winless run.
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“It doesn’t look favourable at all, we know that. But we must take some heart from the spirit and mentality in one of the hardest away games in Europe, never mind the Premier League,” Cooper said.
Leeds also remain in deep relegation trouble as they slumped to a third straight defeat, losing 2-1 at Fulham in the lunchtime kick-off.
Second-half goals from Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira – both stemming from goalkeeping errors by Illan Meslier – put the Cottagers 2-0 up and although Leeds responded through Joao Palhinha’s own goal, a crucial equaliser was beyond them.
Leicester, though, climbed out of the bottom three and to within a point of Leeds as they hit back to beat Wolves 2-1 in Dean Smith’s first home game in charge.
Smith dropped Socceroo Harry Souttar to the substitutes bench for the crucial match.
Matheus Cunha’s early opener for Wolves was cancelled out by Kelechi Iheanacho’s first-half penalty after Jamie Vardy had been brought down by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Timothy Castagne fired Leicester’s winner with 15 minutes left as the Foxes ended their nine-game winless league run with their first victory since early February.
Tuesday’s game between Leeds and Leicester could now be absolutely crucial to both teams’ hopes of survival.
Aston Villa’s five-game winning streak was halted as they drew 1-1 at Brentford, whose winless run was extended to six matches.
Ivan Toney’s 20th goal of the season gave Brentford a second-half lead before Villa rescued a point through Douglas Luiz’s late effort.
“We can play better and we have to demand to play better for the next matches,” Villa manager Unai Emery said.
Crystal Palace edged closer to safety after a goalless home draw against 10-man Everton, who dropped into the bottom three.
Everton defender Mason Holgate was sent off for his second yellow card late on and his side now sit below Leicester on goal difference.
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/6CVh7FQ stroll into FA Cup Final with Mahrez triple, Salah reignites Liverpool’s top four hopes
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