FA Cup Fourth Round: Manchester City 4-2 Watford

Sergio Aguero was the hero for Manchester City as his second-half hat-trick helped Manuel Pellegrini’s men avoid an FA Cup upset against Watford.

The Championship side had deservedly taken a two-goal lead into the break through Fernando Forestieri and Troy Deeney.

But City came out all guns blazing in the second half to earn what at one stage appeared an unlikely victory – with Aguero the catalyst for the comeback.

The Argentinian crashed home his first from close range, before levelling matters on 78 with a sweetly-struck left-foot effort from just inside the area.

With just three minutes remaining, Watford goalkeeper Jonathan Bond spilled Aleksandar Kolarov’s low shot from range and Aguero completed the comeback, and his treble, in added time.

Watford deserve a great deal of credit for their performance, particularly in the first half, but an Aguero-inspired City move into Round Five and are still in the hunt in four separate competitions.

The Hornets started the tie brightly, as Deeney and Cristian Battocchio both fired efforts just over the top of Costel Pantilimon’s bar in the opening four minutes.

It took City a while to get going and their first sight at goal came from a Jesus Navas corner. The ball found its way to the back post but Joel Ekstrand got to it a fraction before Joleon Lescott and turned it behind.

However, this half-chance failed to lift a sluggish City from their slumber and it was no surprise when the Hornets took the lead on 21 minutes.

Gabriele Angella found Deeney from the right and a weighted flick from the skipper played in Forestieri, who was bursting through. The Italian took the ball in his stride and coolly beat Pantilimon with a low shot into the far corner.

And things got even better for the visitors just before the 30-minute mark as Deeney deservedly doubled their advantage.

A poor pass from Martin Demichelis was pounced upon by Sean Murray, who linked up with Ikechi Anya to set up a counter-attack. Anya fed Deeney and the big No9 did the rest, calmly slipping the ball underneath Pantilimon at the near post to send the travelling fans into dreamland.

Seeing the need to shore up his backline, Pellegrini made two changes at the break. Pablo Zabaleta replaced Micah Richards at right-back while club captain Vincent Kompany came on for Jack Rodwell, with Demichelis moving into midfield.

The hosts improved in the second half and took the game to the visitors straight from the restart.

Edin Dzeko found himself with a yard of space inside the box but got the ball stuck under his feet and failed to trouble Bond.

The tide was turning, though, and City gradually increased the pressure on their Championship opponents - substitute Stevan Jovetic, on for Marcos Lopes, couldn’t quite connect with Zabaleta’s cross as Pellegrini’s men sought a route back into the contest.

The pressure eventually told, though, as Aguero smashed home Kolarov’s ball from the left on 59 minutes after Bond had blocked Dzeko's initial effort.

This goal gave City the impetus and they set about finding an equaliser, with Dzeko again unable to get past Bond with a low shot.

Watford were required to defend stoutly for the remainder of the game, with Deeney their sole outlet upfront.

But the free-scoring Premier League side levelled matters with just 12 minutes remaining as Aguero curled home a wonderful left-foot effort from just inside the box.

With a replay looking likely, Kolarov tried his luck from distance with just three minutes left on the clock and the ball squirmed through Bond’s fingers and crept over the line to edge City ahead late on.

And Aguero completed the comeback two minutes into added time, nodding home a deep Navas cross at the back post.

Manchester City: Pantilimon, Richards (Zabaleta, 46) Lescott, Demichelis, Kolarov, Rodwell (Kompany, 46), Toure, Navas, Dzeko, Aguero, Lopes (Jovetic, 57)

Substitutes not used: Hart, Nastasic, Clichy, Fernandinho

Goals: Aguero 59, 78, 90, Kolarov 87

Bookings Dzeko

WatfordFC: Bond, Angella, Ekstrand, Battocchio, Deeney, Forestieri (Cassetti, 61), Doyley, Murray (Abdi, 75), Pudil, Faraoni (Fabbrini, 85), Anya

Substitutes not used: Almunia, Ranegie, Hoban, O’Nein

Goals: Forestieri 20, Deeney 29

Bookings: Pudil 48, Cassetti 82

Referee: Kevin Friend