FA Cup Fifth Round
Sunday 17 February 2013, 14.00 KO
City: Pantlilimon, Zabaleta (c), K Toure, Nastasic, Kolarov, Garcia (Rodwell 61), Y Toure, Silva, Milner, Tevez (Maicon 65), Aguero (Dzeko 81)
Unused: Hart, Lescott, Clichy, Nasri
Goals: Y Toure (6), Aguero (pen 15, 74), Tevez (52)
Booked: -
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Man of the Match: Yaya Toure
It was a bright start from the home side, who were almost ahead within seconds as Aguero almost pounced on a short backpass, but the visiting goalkeeper Ashdown was able to get there just before the Argentine and got the ball away from danger. It didn’t take long for City to breach the Championship side’s defence, as a neat one-touch move left Tevez the chance to chip the ball through to Yaya Toure. He took it around the goalkeeper and planted it into the net.
The game continued to be played in the Leeds penalty area: The hosts wanted a spot kick for a foul on Aguero as he appeared to be clipped when he moved the ball back into his right foot, before a Tevez effort hit the side netting, following some more great work by Aguero to win the ball and lay it off.
With 15 minutes on the clock, though, the referee did point to the spot. Aguero was through down the left flank and had taken the ball past the defender, when Lees grabbed the Argentine’s arm and pulled him back. Aguero stepped up and belted it into the top corner, sending Ashdown the wrong way. It was looking like it’d be a long afternoon for Leeds.
After a quiet spell in the match where Leeds tried to get back into the tie, City stepped it up a gear and were unlucky not to have scored their third. Yaya Toure smashed an effort from 30 yards towards the top corner and it was well turned over the bar by Ashdown, before Garcia flicked a Kolarov corner towards the back post, but it just drifted wide.
On the stroke of half time, Leeds almost got themselves back into the game. They were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and McCormack curled it over the wall, leaving Pantilimon needing to use two hands to palm it away.
Seemingly, any chance of Leeds getting back into the game was snuffed out quickly at the start of the second half. Aguero burst down the left flank to find room to get the ball across as he was challenged by Ashdown. It fell nicely for Tevez, who had little work to do, with the goalkeeper beaten and the ball a yard out from goal.
With 56 minutes played, Milner fancied a goal against his former club and, having skipped inside on the right flank, he cut back onto his right foot and fired towards the goalkeeper’s near post. It didn’t trouble Ashdown, though, as it rifled into the side netting. Two minutes later, Aguero’s cut back for Tevez on a swift breakaway was just too short for his compatriot, who couldn’t get enough power on his shot.
Shortly after his introduction, it should have been four thanks to some great work by Maicon. He spotted a brilliant ball to Silva, who, in turn, picked out Yaya Toure in the middle. The Ivorian’s shot was parried by Ashdown and Rodwell was faced with the chance to head at goal, but he nodded it against the underside of the bar and the ball bounced away to safety.
With 72 minutes gone, Diouf was lucky not to pick up a yellow card for a clear dive in the penalty area and, in response, City went down the other end and added their fourth. Yaya Toure was ignored by Silva, who, instead, chose Aguero in the middle of the pitch. The Argentine looked offside, but the linesman’s flag stayed down and the striker side-footed the ball into the net, off the right hand post.
Five minutes from the end of the game, Dzeko almost added one more to the home side’s tally as he cut inside and outside to make room for a shot towards the bottom corner. Ashdown, though, got across well to palm the ball behind. The Bosnian then teed up Zabaleta for a volley on the edge of the box, but the defender’s shot was just wide of the far post.