Pep Guardiola praised the attitude of his Manchester City players after they became the first team in the history of the FA Cup to reach the semi-finals in six consecutive seasons.
Two deflected strikes from Bernardo Silva secured a 2-0 win over Newcastle and the first of what City hope will be three visits to Wembley before the end of the season as they remain in the hunt for a second consecutive treble.
Guardiola was keen to deflect talk of that but hailed their consistency, pointing to their record both in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, which City won in four consecutive years between 2018 and 2021.
“After we won the treble, and five titles, we’re coming to the international break with two months left and to be in contention for all the titles means a lot,” the City manager said.
“I know people talk about the Premier League, the Champions League, but to have won four Carabao Cups and (reach) six FA Cup semi-finals in a row, this team, this club, has something special, so it’s incredible.
“Of course, we want to win all of them but sometimes this is not possible basically for the quality of the opponents and the schedule we have … but we were there six times in a row.
“Always you can have a bad night or a bad afternoon and to be there six times, you didn’t have a bad night. And for those that doubt the consistency of the team you prove they are wrong.”
City effectively put this tie to bed early on. The opener came in the 13th minute when Silva’s right-footed strike looped up off Dan Burn and into the net, and just after the half-hour mark, the Portugal international cut on to his left to hit a shot that found its way in off Sven Botman’s head.
Silva signed a one-year contract extension in September, but while his terms run until 2026, the 29-year-old midfielder has been the subject of long-running speculation over a move away.
“Everybody loves him,” Guardiola said of the midfielder. “He is really important for us and that he stays is really, really important.”
Newcastle ended City’s aspirations in the Carabao Cup in September with a 1-0 win at St James’ Park, but have since suffered home and away defeats in the Premier League to the reigning champions, and rarely threatened to trouble Guardiola’s side, managing only two attempts at goals all game.
Manager Eddie Howe was pleased with how his defenders marshalled City’s attack and could only rue the deflected nature of the goals.
“Of course, the goals are difficult to take, especially the first one with a big deflection to fly into the top corner,” Howe said. “That’s the football gods working against us in that respect. I thought the lads gave everything today.
“Manchester City are very difficult to play against at any time but when they’re in that kind of mood, they pick those players with a technical base, their aim was to keep possession and make it difficult for us. We’re trying to unsettle their rhythm, it’s a really delicate game and I thought we did OK.”
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Bernardo Silva of Manchester City scores his team's second goal during the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final between City and Newcastle United. Getty Images -
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: Bernardo Silva of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on March 16, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster / Getty Images) -
Manchester City's Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring their second. Reuters -
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline. EPA -
Newcastle United's Sean Longstaff looks disappointed. AFP -
Manchester City's Erling Haaland attempts a shot on goal. PA -
Newcastle United's Sean Longstaff challenges Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic. Reuters -
Newcastle's head coach Eddie Howe reacts on the touchline. AP -
Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon reacts after his side go 2-0 down. AFP -
Manchester City's Erling Haaland after being felled by Fabian Schar. Reuters -
Manchester City's Phil Foden after missing a chance. AP -
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola rues a missed chance. AP
Defeat ensures Newcastle’s wait for a major domestic trophy will continue into a 70th year. They sit 10th in the Premier League, a long way from the side that finished fourth last term, but Howe is still targeting a return to European football.
“I don’t think we can feel sorry for ourselves,” Howe said. “This season could have ended up very different, some of the big moments have gone against us, but we have to take responsibility for that.
“We will come back. The two-week break has come at a good time for us to let this result sink in and then focus on our last 10 games in the Premier League.”
