Riyad Mahrez’s hat-trick fired Manchester City into the 2022-23 FA Cup Final with a 3-0 semi-final win over Sheffield United.
Mahrez fired Man City in front from a 43rd minute penalty after Bernardo Silva had been fouled inside the box during a free-kick.
The Algerian then doubled City’s lead in the 61st minute with a solo counter-attack from an interception of Max Lowe.
City’s place in the Final was eventually confirmed five minutes later when Mahrez completed his hat-trick with a clinical sweeping strike from Jack Grealish’s cutback pass.
Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens will now await the winner of Brighton’s semi-final against Manchester United in the showpiece final on Saturday 3 June.
Man City entered this match as overwhelming hot-favourites but were given two huge scares courtesy of Iliman Ndiaye in the opening seven minutes.
Ndiaye first pounced onto a headed flick-on pass of Oliver Norwood’s second-minute corner but goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega was alert to make a crucial block at his near-left corner.
The Senegalese forward five minutes later pounced upon Daniel Jebbison’s headed pass from a direct free-kick, yet his scrappy right-footed shot was blasted into the side-netting.
City meanwhile dominated the press but struggled to create many clear-cut chances in the opening 15 minutes, aside from Manuel Akanji who headed wide from a 12th minute corner kick.
Erling Haaland then saw a 15th minute opportunity to put City ahead ruled out after he had fouled Norwood as he flicked the ball towards Julian Alvarez, only for the ball to ricohet off the Argentinean for him to turn and blast into the bottom-right corner.
Sheffield Utd almost punished that error barely a minute later as Sander Berge got up City’s left flank and whipped in a cross, which was blocked by Kyle Walker and fell for Jack Robinson to shoot towards the bottom-left corner but Ortega saved.
City however continued to struggle to carve out chances as Mahrez and Alvarez both curled wide of the right then left corner respectively in quick succession.
Sheffield Utd’s defensive resilience however was undone in the 41st minute as Jebbison blocked the free-kick into the air and as he backtracked, he fouled Bernardo Silva and referee – Attwell immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
Two minutes later, Mahrez stepped up despite having missed three of his last six penalties and the Algerian calmly bent a left-footed strike into the bottom-right corner to put City ahead as Foderingham dived the opposite way.
City proceeded to protect their lead until half-time but upon the restart, they continued to struggle to carve out chances in open play whilst set pieces ultimately came to nothing.
Haaland almost doubled City’s lead in the 56th minute but flicked Sergio Gomez’s curled cross wide at the far-right post.
City five minutes later secured their spot in this season’s FA Cup Final as Mahrez intercepted Lowe just inside City’s half with a left-footed flick, which led the Algerian to mount a rapid counter-attack up the central third as he calmly rolled across into the far-right corner.
Sheffield Utd’s dreams however were ultimately vanquished in the 66th minute as Grealish dribbled up their right flank, which enabled him to cut back for Mahrez to sweep across into the far-right corner via Foderingham’s deflection to complete his hat-trick.
His third goal meant that Mahrez became the first male player to net a semi-final hat-trick this century and the first to do so since Alex Dawson scored three goals for Manchester United in a semi-final replay against Fulham at Highbury in March 1958.
Both teams soon proceeded to make various changes with one eye on pivotal league games in midweek at the top of Premier League and Championship respectively.
City eventually saw the game out to secure their spot in the FA Cup Final for the first time since they defeated Watford in the final at end of 2018-19 season, when they completed a domestic treble that campaign.
Speaking post-match to ITV, Mahrez said that he and his teammates had “… wanted to make sure we got to the final.”
On his hat-trick and reaching the final whilst also contesting for Premier League and Champions League titles, Mahrez added: “I think I had a good game.
“I don’t know really which goal was the best. It’s a good team achievement and we took the game seriously.
“It means a lot to be in final. We really want to work hard in every competition going. We’re in the final of the FA Cup which is amazing. Now we have to concentrate on the league and the next game against Arsenal.
“We have a very good squad and a very good team. We have to keep going.”
What’s Next?
Man City now turn their attention to a must-win Premier League clash at home to Arsenal on Wednesday 26 April, in a 8pm BST kick-off at Etihad Stadium.
Sheffield Utd on that same evening and time host West Brom in the Sky Bet Championship, where the Blades could secure promotion with a win.
Teams
Manchester City: Stefan Ortega, Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Gomez, Ilkay Gundogan (Phillips 75′), Bernardo Silva (Lewis 81′), Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez, Jack Grealish (Palmer 67′), Erling Haaland (Foden 68′)
Substitutes: Ederson, Ruben Dias, Kalvin Phillips, John Stones, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis
Sheffield United: Wes Foderingham, George Baldock (Bogle 76′), Anel Ahmedhodzic (Coulibaly 76′), John Egan, Jack Robinson, Max Lowe, Oliver Norwood, Sander Berge (Basham 75′), John Fleck (Sharp 66′), Iliman Ndiaye, Daniel Jebbison (McBurnie 58′)
Substitutes: Adam Davies, Chris Basham, Ciaran Clark, Jayden Bogle, Ismaila Coulibaly, Oliver Arblaster, Andre Brooks, Billy Sharp, Oli McBurnie
Referee: Stuart Attwell
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