FA Cup
Result: Swansea City 2-3 Manchester City
Date: 16 March 2019
Venue: Liberty Stadium
Manchester City came back from two goals down to emerge 3-2 victors over Swansea City and advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals.
City had all of the early momentum as expected and appeared to be knocking the ball around for fun. In the sixth minute, Gabriel Jesus slipped the ball through to Leroy Sane, who fired a shot towards the bottom left. Kristoffer Nordfeldt saved well at his near post, though the ball looped to Riyad Mahrez, whose rushed header floated inches wide of the left-hand post.
Seven minutes later, Sane scampered down the left and looped a cross towards the far post, where Bernardo Silva crashed a shot goalwards from eight yards but Nordfeldt parried brilliantly.
In the 20th minute, Fabian Delph stood off Connor Roberts, out on the right touchline. Roberts brought a long pass down and cut inside before Delph stuck out a leg and tripped his man from behind as he entered the box. Matt Grimes coolly slotted home from the penalty spot for a 1-0 lead to the hosts.
Nine minutes later, Swansea shocked even their own fans when they took a 2-0 lead. Superb interplay between Daniel James and Wayne Routledge got Bersant Celina in to space down the inside-left channel, who opened his body up before firing an unstoppable drive in to the top right-hand corner.
In the 35th minute, City came close to pulling a goal back. Bernardo Silva skinned Grimes down the right and his low cross found David Silva six yards out who looked destined to score but Roberts stuck out a leg to block his shot on the line. The ball then pinballed off Nordfeldt and somehow spun round the right-hand post instead of going in, ensuring the hosts took a 2-0 lead in to the interval.
Two minutes after the break, Jesus almost scored in fortuitous circumstances after Bernardo Silva's cross was cleared by Roberts and rebounded off the Brazilian, but the ball went inches wide.
Finally, City found a goal and it came in the 69th minute. Kyle Walker crossed from the right with Roberts making an absolute hash of his clearance. Sergio Aguero, who had just been thrown on by Pep Guardiola, had a couple of snapshots blocked. The ball broke left to Bernardo Silva, who curled a powerful effort with the outside of his foot around Nordfeldt and into the top right.
City soon had the equaliser after being awarded a penalty when Cameron Carter-Vickers tripped Raheem Sterling in the box - although the right-back seemed to make contact with the ball first. Aguero hit the bar but the ball unluckily rebounded back off Nordfeldt's trailing leg for an own goal.
The comeback was complete in the 88th minute when Bernardo Silva's excellent whipped cross was deftly headed in at the near post by Aguero as City completed the remarkable turnaround.
Other result:
Goals from Étienne Capoue and Andre Grey cancelled out a strike from Michy Batshuayi to hand Watford a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
