Their reward for a comprehensive win over Arsenal, their third in a row over the Gunners on this ground, was the mouth-watering prospect of a two-legged semi final against Manchester United. This tantalising prospect came about thanks to sublime strikes from Tevez and Wright-Phillips, plus a first senior goal for Vladmir Weiss, who had replaced SWP late in the game.
A much-altered Arsenal side faced a City team that made two changes from the one that had begun against Hull. Barry was in for de Jong, rested after not missing a game since Arsenal’s visit here in September, and Bellamy replaced Robinho, possibly still short of being able to cope with three games in a week.
The lights went out a few minutes before kick off with City stoking up the atmosphere for a packed house by projecting a blue moon onto the East Stand. There was only one song that could go with it, and it all added an extra edge to an occasion that had a lot to live up to from the last time the sides met.
Ignoring the predictable cacophony from the away end whenever he was on the ball, Adebayor had the night’s first good chance, heading a Barry corner powerfully from the near the penalty spot but straight at Fabianski.
It was Craig Bellamy’s turn to be the centre of attention as the pace quickened once we were past the 15 minute mark. First of all the Welsh striker was bundled to the ground after colliding with Song inside the box, but Chris Foy waved the penalty claims away. A couple of minutes later SWP picked Silvestre’s pocket and slipped the ball back to Bellamy, whose shot-on-the-turn slid fractionally wide of the post. It was the sort of chance he has usually buried since joining City and he could not believe he had missed.
The two Premier League heavyweights then began to trade punches, Vela sending the ball over after being hassled by an attentive Lescott, then Tevez drove a shot right at Fabianski. SWP slipped in the area after an elusive run into the box, but had he looked up Tevez and Adebayor were in great positions further over.
Vela and Eboue both had half-chances snuffed out by a combination of alert goalkeeping and defending. Bookings for Traore and Eastmond bookended Song heading inches over the bar – his own bar at the free kick for the first yellow card. Fabianski was nowhere near and it could have been embarrassing had the ball gone inches lower. There was to be no booking a few minutes later when Silvestre handled as the Blues tried to play it over the top, and then Eboue’s was ruled not to have passed it back to Fabianski.
The tempo had got quicker and quicker as the first half went on, and the break did not change matters. The goal that it had felt was coming for a while finally happened five minutes in, and it was a cracker. Bellamy hassled Rosicky into losing the ball, and after he had swiftly found Carlos Tevez it was all about the little Argentinean. He cut inside from the left, danced past three defenders and then rattled a superb shot in off the bar from the edge of the box past a stationary Fabianski.
City went for the jugular in an attempt to kill the tie off, Lescott’s well-placed header finding Bellamy’s whose excellent cut-back was poked over by Adebayor with Arsenal’s keeper steaming in at him. Silvestre hauled down his former front man to concede a free kick and to finally get a yellow card after his first half handball that could have merited one. At the other end Wilshere and Ramsey spurned chances that some of Arsenal’s absentee strikers may have made more from.
City made the visitors pay for missing half-chances with 21 minutes to, and it was another goal out of the top drawer. Shaun Wright-Phillips took the ball from Richards just inside the Arsenal half, raced past a bewildered Silvestre and then unleashed an unstoppable shot that tore past Fabianski into the top corner of the net. It was Shaun’s third goal in as many home games and looked like being enough to put City into the semis.
Chris Foy was one of the busiest men in east Manchester for the remainder of the tie, booking players from both sides almost by the minute at one stage. Alexandre Song was already heading for the tunnel after his blatant body check on Ireland, and was as surprised as anyone when he only saw yellow being flashed in his direction.
Vladimir Weiss’ first goal for City, which came with a minute to go after great work from Bellamy on the left, was the icing on the cake. The Welshman had worked tirelessly down the left and looked shattered, having taken a knock late on after tangling with Eboue, and he must have run SWP close for man of the match. Merida beat Given in stoppage time with a shot that rattled the City crossbar, but the Blues remained unbeaten and into their first semi final since 1981. The end came with celebrations all round for City, but no handshake from Arsene Wenger for his opposite number.
The news that we were drawn to play United, over two legs in early January, was greeted with a cheer by those left in the stadium a few minutes later.
