James Milner earns Manchester City win against Sheffield Wednesday
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Version 0 of 1. Dust off the clichés: romance, magic and all the other old FA Cup chestnuts are in the rudest of health after being given fresh life by a Sheffield Wednesday team who gave the champions of England a fair fright. They had been trounced 7-0 by Manchester City the previous time they visited the Etihad Stadium, for a Capital One Cup tie in September. Wednesday had held City 0-0 at the break before crumpling in the second half. This time the score was 1-1 as the closing moments were played out, Stuart Gray’s men having refused to stop hassling and harrying even after James Milner’s 66th-minute equaliser and even after the birthday boy’s winner – he is now 29 – in stoppage time. Manuel Pellegrini admitted his team had escaped. “I am relieved, because we didn’t play well,” City’s manager said. “We played very bad except the last 20 minutes when we [went up] another gear to try to create the space against a team that defend very well.” When half-time arrived City had been outmuscled by Wednesday who hunted in packs in midfield. Fernando, the £12m summer signing who is yet to impress, was too often beaten to the crucial 50-50s that decide who controls proceedings. City had dominated possession but lacked the skill to make this tell. Pellegrini’s men started off by forcing two corners in succession after a Bacary Sagna attempt was deflected behind. Before Atdhe Nuhiu gave Wednesday the advantage City twice broke with menace but there was no end product. Wednesday were about to show precisely how to slash a side open and make it count. Kieran Lee threaded a pass in behind Eliaquim Mangala to Stevie May. As the £40m defender struggled, the No7 zipped over a cross that was met with first-time perfection by Nuhiu, the Austrian forward, who beat Caballero easily. During half-time Pellegrini must have offered stern words to his men to up their speed of thought and execution and was rewarded by a brighter opening to the second half. A pass from Jesús Navas skimmed across the area and Frank Lampard just failed to connect, then Yaya Touré had a shot blocked. After 55 minutes Wednesday were already in siege mode, readied for a long fight in the hope of glorious reward but they still looked composed. When Touré hit a diagonal pass, Liam Palmer’s decision was not a wild flail but a cool header back to Chris Kirkland. Too many City players were enduring an off day. Top of this list were Fernando and Stevan Jovetic and the striker and the ineffective Lampard were replaced by Samir Nasri and David Silva. The replacements were an instant hit. Nasri found Silva and the Spaniard, in turn, delivered one of those superbround-the-corner passes that are his calling card, to the onrushing Milner: the finish went through Kirkland’s legs for the equaliser. Yet Wednesday fought back and Jacques Maghoma twice came close to re-establishing their lead when bursting into the area. Then Milner, oddly for a man who had just scored, opted to square the ball when again clear, this time to the left of Kirkland’s goal, and the chance fizzled out. With the game all but over, Silva had a chance but a strong shot was saved superbly by Kirkland. Wednesday deserved to survive but Navas’s ball was turned home by Milner, who had again prospered as a false No9. Milner’s contract ends in the summer but Pellegrini could not confirm if a new deal might be signed soon. “I hope we will find an arrangement,” he said. Gray was left to hail his team’s spirit. “I’m very proud. Last time here we lost 7-0 and we have pushed the champions until the last minute. But you can see why they are the champions,” he said. Man of the match James Milner (Manchester City) |