Man City vs Liverpool: Player ratings and analysis as Sadio Mane double sends the Reds into FA Cup final

Man City 2-3 Liverpool (Grealish 47′, Bernardo 90′ | Konate 9′, Mane 17′, 45′)

Liverpool will face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final after beating Manchester City 3-2 in a pulsating game at Wembley.

Liverpool went in front after only nine minutes as Ibrahima Konate continued his hot streak by rising above Nathan Ake to head in from an Andy Robertson corner. It was the French defender’s third goal in as many games after he netted in both Champions League quarter-final legs against Benfica and it was also the 19th time that Liverpool had scored from a corner this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s side doubled their advantage eight minutes later when Sadio Mane capitalised on a shocking mistake from City’s second-choice ‘keeper Zack Steffen. The USA international, starting ahead of Ederson, took too long to release the ball and was punished as Mane tackled him virtually on his goal line with the ball flying into the net.

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Mane added his second and Liverpool’s third just before half-time with a superbly taken volley after intricate build-up play from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara on the edge of City’s box.

After a first-half horror show City cut the deficit two minutes into the second when Jack Grealish finished confidently from a Gabriel Jesus pull-back. And City’s hopes of staging a remarkable turnaround were further boosted when Bernardo Silva tapped into an empty net in the 90th minute.

Player ratings

Man City (4-3-3)

• Steffen – 4
• Cancelo – 6
• Stones – 6
• Ake – 5
• Zinchenko – 6
• Fernandinho – 5
• Bernardo – 7
• Foden – 5
• Grealish – 7
• Jesus – 6
• Sterling – 6

Subs:

• Mahrez – 6

Liverpool (4-3-3)

• Alisson – 7
• Alexander-Arnold – 7
• Konate – 8
• Van Dijk – 6
• Robertson – 7
• Fabinho – 6
• Thiago – 8
• Keita – 6
• Diaz – 8
• Mane – 8
• Salah – 6

Subs:

• Henderson – 6
• Jota – 6
• Firmino – 6

Despite a late rally, though, City were unable to force an equaliser and will now have to focus their efforts on retaining the Premier League title and winning a first Champions League trophy.

Liverpool’s hopes of claiming an unprecedented quadruple, meanwhile, remain well and truly alive.

Man City condemn fans who disrupted minute’s silence for Hillsborough victims

By Tim Sigsworth

Supporters reacted with fury after a minority of Manchester City fans carried on singing chants during a minute’s silence held in memory of the Hillsborough disaster before City and Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final.

The teams gathered around the centre circle of the Wembley pitch for the silence observed impeccably by most spectators.

In 1989, 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in a crush at an FA Cup semi-final, with Andrew Devine’s death last year as a result of irreversible brain damage sustained in the disaster making him the 97th victim.

City issued an apology just before the start of the second half, saying: “Manchester City are extremely disappointed with the actions of some City supporters during the minute’s silence before today’s game.

“The club sincerely apologises to all those connected with Liverpool Football Club.”

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