Manchester City Makes History with Sixth Consecutive FA Cup Semi-Final Appearance
Manchester City secured their place in the record books by becoming the first team ever to reach six consecutive FA Cup semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium.
The match, which took place on Saturday, saw City assert their dominance early on, with Bernardo Silva scoring both goals. The Portuguese midfielder’s strikes, coming in the 13th and 31st minutes, were deflected efforts that left Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka helpless.
Despite Newcastle’s efforts to disrupt City’s midfield, Pep Guardiola’s side maintained a staggering 72% possession throughout the game, limiting the Magpies to just a single shot on target.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, who had previously knocked City out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, failed to make any significant impact on the game, with their defensive approach proving ineffective against City’s offensive prowess.
Following the match, Guardiola praised his team’s consistency and highlighted their remarkable achievement of reaching six consecutive FA Cup semi-finals, a feat unmatched in the history of the competition.
“After we won the treble, and five titles, we’re coming to the international break with two months left and to be in contention for all the titles means a lot,” the City boss said. “I know people talk about the Premier League, the Champions League, but to have won four Carabao Cups and (reach) six FA Cup semi-finals in a row, this team, this club, has something special, so it’s incredible.
“Of course we want to win all of them but sometimes this is not possible basically for the quality of the opponents and the schedule we have…but we were there six times in a row.
“Always you can have a bad night or a bad afternoon and to be there six times, you didn’t have a bad night. And for those that doubt the consistency of the team you prove they are wrong.”
With City still in contention for multiple titles this season, including the Premier League and the Champions League, Guardiola emphasized the importance of their continued success across various competitions.
The defeat for Newcastle means their hopes of securing a major domestic trophy remain elusive, with the club now focusing on their Premier League campaign in a bid to secure European football next season.
Despite the disappointment, Howe remained optimistic about Newcastle’s future prospects, expressing confidence that his team would bounce back from the defeat and focus on their remaining league fixtures.
“This season could have ended up very different, some of the big moments have gone against us, but we have to take responsibility for that.
“We will come back. The two-week break has come at a good time for us to let this result sink in and then focus on our last 10 games in the Premier League.”
As City prepares for yet another trip to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals, the stage is set for them to continue their pursuit of silverware and cement their status as one of English football’s dominant forces.
