Manchester City remain on course for quadruple

January 29, 2018 | 09:12

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CARDIFF: Kevin De Bruyne starred as Manchester City stayed on course for an unprecedented quadruple as a 2-0 win at Cardiff on Sunday (Jan 28) put the runaway Premier League leaders into the last 16 of the FA Cup.

Manchester City's Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva (right) scores with his shot but it is later disallowed for an off-side against Manchester City's German midfielder Leroy Sane (3rd L) during the English FA Cup fourth round football match. (Geoff CADDICK/AFP)

City, 12 points clear at the summit of English football, are bidding to bring the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League titles to the Etihad.

They made short work of second-tier Cardiff, with Belgian star De Bruyne putting them ahead in just eight minutes when he deceived the home side with a brilliant free-kick that he struck under, rather than over, the defensive wall.

Bernardo Silva appeared to have doubled the visitors' lead with a thunderous 26th-minute shot but his goal was ruled out because the officials deemed Leroy Sane to be off-side and interfering with play.

It appeared a harsh call but, with the controversial video assistant referee system that is being trialled in some English cup ties this season not in use for this match, there was no way of reviewing the decision.

But the second goal Pep Guardiola's men had threatened arrived in the 37th minute when Silva's superb curling cross from the left was glanced in by Raheem Sterling.

Sane was the victim of a bad tackle by Joe Bennett in first-half stoppage time and was replaced at the break by Sergio Aguero.

Cardiff defender Bennett was sent off in injury time at the end of the match when he received a second yellow card for another poor challenge, on Brahim Diaz.

De Bruyne said there had been nothing complicated regarding his goal, telling the BBC: "The wall was not nine metres away from me and so they were very close and it was easy to put it under."

But he was slightly bemused by the tactics employed by a Cardiff side pushing for promotion to the Premier League.

"They played man against man all over the pitch - it was a little bit weird," De Bruyne said. "It left a lot of space."

AFP

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