The Blues were two goals up inside the first 15 minutes through Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero and added two more after the break through Carlos Tevez and a second for man-of-the-match Aguero.
If a kick-start was needed for the final three months of the campaign, perhaps this was it - next week’s crucial clash with Chelsea will no doubt be the acid test of that particular theory
...City 4 Leeds 0...
The cup came as a welcome relief to the pressure and rigours of the Premier League title race and all the demands and expectations that come with it. Three games without a win has had pundits writing off the Blues’ hopes of retaining the trophy they won last May, but time will tell.
With everyone desperate to get last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Southampton out of their system, this was the perfect opportunity to rediscover the feel-good factor that has been missing of late.
A win would put the Blues in sight of a fourth Wembley appearance in two years – a habit and day out all City fans could get used to.
Roberto Mancini had said he only wanted fighters in his team for the remaining weeks of the campaign and demanded a response to what has been widely acknowledged as the worst performance of his tenure at St Mary’s Stadium.
Pablo Zabaleta was handed the captain’s armband, Tevez, Aleks Kolarov, Kolo Toure, James Milner and Matija Nastasic were recalled while Costel Pantilimon, as has been the norm in domestic cup ties this season, replaced Joe Hart.
The opening exchanges would have pleased the City boss, with the Premier League champions irresistible – the passing, movement and effort could not have been better – everything that last weekend hadn’t been, in fact
...City 4 Leeds 0...
With just six minutes on the clock Yaya Toure, the man whose goals carried the Blues to the FA Cup success in 2011, started and finished a move that involved David Silva and Tevez to give the hosts the perfect start.
It was Yaya’s seventh goal of the season and no less than City deserved. Less than ten minutes later, the Blues doubled their lead when referee Mark Clattenburg penalised Leeds’ Tom Lees for tugging back Aguero in the box and the Argentine striker planted the penalty past Jamie Ashdown himself for his twelfth of the campaign.
Two goals to the good and only 16 minutes on the clock, Mancini must have dreamed of such a start and, effectively, the sell-out crowd could settle down, enjoy the rest of the game and start thinking who the quarter-final opposition might be.
If Leeds had entertained any thoughts of a comeback, they were completely extinguished seven-minutes after the re-start when Aguero’s incisive run and one-two with Silva drew Ashdown off his line and the resulting chip across the box gave Tevez the simplest of finishes from a yard out to make it 3-0. Game over.
The visitors couldn’t muster much in attack and Pantilimon was having the serenest of afternoons as the Blues went looking for more goals
...City 4 Leeds 0...
Sub Jack Rodwell almost opened his own personal account for City when he saw his header crash off the underside of the bar but it wasn’t too long before the home fans were on their feet again as Silva’s clever chip put Aguero clear and he made no mistake with a clinical finish from 15 yards to make it 4-0.
Normal order restored and City in the last eight of the FA Cup - what a difference a week makes!
