Birthday boy James Milner spared Manchester City’s blushes as the Blues game from behind to complete a domestic cup double over Sheffield Wednesday.
Just over three months since their 7-0 drubbing of the same opponents in the League Cup, the Premier League champions were forced to work an awful lot harder as two second-half Milner goals turned the result on its head after Atdhe Nuhiu’s early effort had given the visitors a surprise lead.
Man City 2-1 Sheff Wed
FA Cup Third Round
Etihad Stadium
4 January 2015
Winners receive £67,500
Stuart Gray’s Wednesday suffered a 10-match winless streak following their last trip to the Etihad, but their form has improved of late with four wins in their last six.
City meanwhile were unbeaten in 12, but, despite their outstanding run of results, had made hard work of their festive fixtures and that was the case yet again as Manuel Pellegrini’s team fell behind after quarter of an hour.
Kieran Lee released Stevie May on the right and when his cross found top-scorer Nuhiu, there was only ever one outcome.
The Owls strike curled one beyond Willy Caballero and was met by a roar from the 6,000-strong Wednesday faithful.
City responded well enough with Jesus Navas, Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure all carving half-chances but never really tested Chris Kirkland in the Wednesday goal.
It had been goalless at the break when the two sides had met in September, before City had gone on to score seven in just 45 minutes and that seemed to have been the focus of Gray’s half-time team-talk as a well-drilled Sheffield kept the Blues at bay after the interval.
In fact the Owls could have doubled their lead in the early stages after the break. Liam Palmer first saw a 20-yard effort well gathered by Caballero, before Lee broke through the City defence but could not control in front of goal.
They were made to pay for those missed chances as David Silva and Samir Nasri were introduced to the fray.
Having seen a number of threatening Navas crosses come to nothing and Toure’s free-kick rebound off a wall of Owls, the substitutes took the game to their opponents and immediately reaped the rewards.
Nasri passed to Milner, who played a clever one-two with Silva before firing through the legs of Kirkland.
It was only the Blues’ second effort on target but it was enough to turn the tide in their favour.
The England international probably should have put his side in front not long after. After breaking into the Wednesday penalty area, Milner opted to pass rather than shoot, but could not pick out a team-mate and the chance went begging.
The visitors continued to pose problems on the break but when Jacques Maghoma saw Navas block the way through when well placed, a second Wednesday goal looked unlikely.
Kirkland denied Silva from pointblank range in the dying moments, but City are renowned for late winners at the Etihad and the former England goalkeeper could do nothing as Navas crossed for Milner to tuck the winner home and break Wednesday hearts.
Manchester City (4-4-1-1): Willy Caballero; Bacary Sagna, Eliaquim Mangala, Dedryck Boyata, Aleksandar Kolarov; Jesus Navas, Fernando Reges, Yaya Toure, James Milner; Frank Lampard; Stevan Jovetic
Subs: David Silva for Lampard 61, Samir Nasri for Jovetic 61, Gael Clichy for Kolarov 75.
Subs not used: Joe Hart, Martin Demichelis, Fernandinho, Bersant Celina.
Goals: Milner 66, 90
Sheffield Wednesday (4-4-2): Chris Kirkland; Liam Palmer, Tom Lees, Glen Loovens, Claude Dielna; Kieran Lee, Jose Semedo, Jacques Maghoma, Jeremy Helan; Stevie May, Atdhe Nuhiu.
Subs: Caolan Lavery for May 66, Chris Maguire for Nuhiu 75, Rhys McCabe for Dielna 85.
Subs not used: Cameron Dawson, Rhys McCabe, Paul Corry, Matt Young, Hill De Havilland.
Booked: Palmer
Goal: Nuhiu 14
Referee: Michael Oliver.
Attendance: 34,000
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