5: March 27, 1926: City 3 Manchester United 0
City’s second FA Cup semi-final in three years and a chance for a first appearance at Wembley was the carrot at a packed Bramall Lane for a Manchester derby with a difference. It was barely two months since the Blues had won 6-1 at Old Trafford, so confidence was high in David Ashworth’s side – and it showed as they brushed the Reds aside with two goals from Tommy Browell and another from Frank Roberts in a comprehensive 3-0 win. That set up another final with Bolton – though this time the Wanderers would get their revenge…
4: March 17, 1934: City 6 Aston Villa 1 (Leeds Road)
City returned to Leeds Road in 1933 for their third successive FA Cup semi-final and a second in succession at Huddersfield Town’s home. There was no indication of the goal feast ahead with the two league meetings producing just one goal between the clubs – and tend days earlier the Blues had left Villa Park with a hard-fought 0-0 draw. So the events of the day left the City fans ecstatic and the Villa fans stunned as four goals from Fred Tilson and strikes from Alec Herd and Ernie Toseland completed a memorable 6-1 victory. There’d be no stopping City this time and they went on to lift the FA Cup for only the second time by beating Portsmouth 2-1 in the final.
3: March 22, 1969: Everton 0, City 1 (Villa Park)
With the Blues relinquishing their league title without so much as a whimper, the FA Cup suddenly became Joe Mercer’s only hope of a trophy in what had been a disappointing season. In their way was a dogged Everton team full of talent and clear favourites for the final.
But City hadn’t become a poor team overnight with almost the same squad who had won the league the year before and it was that class that just edged a thrilling semi, won by Tommy Booth in the last minute of normal time to send the Blues to Wembley where they would beat Leicester City 1-0.
2: April 11, 1981: Ipswich Town 0, City 1 (Villa Park)
Though this wasn’t perhaps City’s greatest semi-final display, the fact that John Bond had somehow steered a side who had been bottom of the league with no wins in their opening 12 games, to an FA Cup final makes this game stand out slightly above all the others. Having signed Gerry Gow, Tommy Hutchison and Bobby McDonald, the Blues transformed into the form team of the First Division, but still went into this game against Bobby Robson’s title-chasing Ipswich as underdogs. There were no goals in normal time and the match went into extra time. Then, in the 100th minute of the 100th year of FA Cup football, Paul Power stepped up to curl a delightful free-kick past Paul Cooper to send the City fans wild and the club to Wembley to face Tottenham.
1: April 16 2011: Man United 0 City 1 (Wembley Stadium)
The first Manchester derby to be staged at Wembley was a memorable occasion for all City fans with the Blues edging a close game 1-0. City survived a number of early scares and were under the cosh for the first-half hour before gradually working their way into the game.
Then, ten minutes after the break and following a mistake Michael Carrick error, Yaya Toure picked up the ball 30 yards out, burst past two challenges into the box and fired through the legs of Edwin van der Sar for what turned out to be the only goal of a tense game. United were later reduced to ten men when Paul Scholes was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Pablo Zabaleta and the Blues ended up deserved winners.
City are back in Premier League action on Wednesday against Wigan - get your tickets here.
