They are hard task masters at Manchester City. Miss a penalty kick and you’re fired. It doesn’t matter if you’re chasing Dixie Dean’s historic record of 63 goals in a season. Erling Haaland failed against Bayern in the middle of the week for the first time this season and was suspended. And Riyad Mahrez stepped up.
Indeed, who needs Haaland with 48 goals anyway? Mahrez converted the penalty and then scored a hat-trick. And that’s the kind of ruthlessness that keeps Manchester City’s treble alive and well.
They will play the FA Cup final here in June. A week later they may be in Istanbul for a Champions League final. More relevantly, they face title challenger Arsenal on Wednesday. A win there and you would feel that a huge step would have been taken towards that historic achievement.
This hurdle on the way to the pantheon was cleared with the ease most people expected. Not that Sheffield United, who are likely soon to face City in the Premier League, which will be their real target for the season, need be ashamed.
This was indeed a better performance that many Premier League sides put on against City. They harassed City to the point of frustration for 42 minutes. They made those of us watching believe that something extraordinary could happen.
Riyad Mahrez scored a hat-trick for Man City to secure their place in the FA Cup final
The Algerian winger opened the score against Sheffield United on Saturday from the spot
Pep Guardiola’s has moved one step closer to achieving a historic Treble-winning season this year
Yet it was never likely. City are currently a team on a mission. The excitement of the next six weeks will see where that ends. How they would love to recreate the Manchester United side of 1999 with the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. At the moment, no one seems to be able to stop them. The momentum seems irresistible.
Better teams than Sheffield United stand in their way, but that’s not to say the Yorkshire team haven’t played their part here at Wembley. Perhaps it was just a pity that the moment only came after 88 seconds for them. Because you know against Manchester City maybe there will be only one. And to play another 88 and a half minutes knowing maybe you should have scored, could have scored is a soul-destroying experience.
And it was a huge moment. It might have come so fast that they weren’t quite ready. Manchester City had conceded an early corner; Oliver Norwood swung the ball in and John Egan got a firm header on the ball, which bounced and fell six yards out at the feet of Iliman Ndiaye.
And that was the point the masses of Sheffield United fans could believe. City were exposed, only Stefan Ortega stood between Ndiaye and goal. What sport would Sheffield United make of this game if they took an unexpected lead?
Still, Ndiaye couldn’t move his feet fast enough to land a powerful blow on them. He got his shot clear, but Ortega dove to smother the effort. And the moment just faded away.
And isn’t it true that Sheffield United didn’t make any more trips after that? Sander Berge exploded on the right after 17 minutes and passed his man. His cross looked dangerous, but there was Sheffield native Kyle Walker heading away. Daniel Jebbison and Ndiaye both stormed off at times but were throttled by light blue defenders.
And it wasn’t that Sheffield United ever gave up. It’s just that precious, clear sight of the target that, once wasted, doesn’t return. Instead, they continued what was always going to be a precarious rearguard action.
Mahrez and Erling Haaland celebrate after the winger’s opening goal at Wembley
The Blades will be disappointed they couldn’t pose a greater threat to Pep Guardiola’s side
And they executed it with aplomb, flattering and organizing Egan as Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson did their utmost to keep the hordes of City forwards at bay. Corners were cleared, tackles were made and men followed.
Haaland had the ball in the net with an astonishing 35-yard effort, so powerful across the ground you’d think goalkeeper Wes Foderinham wouldn’t have gotten close had he tried. It was the kind of goals a striker scored in comic books, not in real life.
But that fits, because it is now clear that Haaland is more of a comic book hero than a real person. However, referee Stuart Atwell had blown his whistle for a foul and it did not stand. Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez attempted curling shots from outside the box, the latter being tipped off by Foderingham. Corner followed corner. But Sheffield United held their ground.
As such, the way they were undone was extremely frustrating. The danger had passed when Bernardo Silva fired a cross out of the air, a rare moment of technical failure. Still, Daniel Jebbison, back to help the defense, panicked. The ball bounced around Silva, so perhaps he feared another hit, although in reality there was little threat and no clear chance. Still, Jebbison dove in.
Perhaps he caught a fragment of the ball, but he also took away a significant portion of Silva’s legs and as such, once the VAR had done its thing and checked, Mahrez stepped for the spot. Mahrez didn’t make the same mistake as Haaland, firing the ball into the right corner with relative ease for 1-0 on 42 minutes.
You felt that if Sheffield United had made it to half time there might be hope, a chance to go again. It wasn’t that the game was a draw at 1-0. But it was on the hour when Max Lowe was caught in possession by Mahrez, who simply made a goal line from 45 yards out and ran straight across and through the center halves of Egan and Robinson to slide the ball past Foderingham.
The Paris-born Algerian was now on a hat-trick and quickly completed the task on 66 minutes, Grealish cut in from the right to find Mahrez, who swept the ball in for 3-0. At that point, Erling Haaland and Grealish came out as Guardiola prepared for bigger tests.
Arsenal, Real Madrid and Brighton or Manchester United beckon. Some of the biggest names in European football are here to be put away. At this point you would be foolish to bet against them.