Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United Highlights: Mahrez scores a hat-trick as Man City enters FA Cup final

Mahrez scores a hat-trick as Manchester City makes it to the FA Cup 2023 final.

Passing practice for City as cheers and claps from thousands of blue shirts in the stadium ring around Wembley. They had come to see City win and City has given them exactly what they wanted.

Bashan barges into the box and almost tries to earn a penalty after a touch off Laporte. The Sheffield fans shout for a penalty but the referee shakes his head firmly to say there is nothing that might lead to a spot-kick in that offence.

In case you missed it, Mahrez opened the scoring with a spot-kick in the first half and scored two more in the second to complete a brilliant hat-trick at Wembley.

Manchester City, with a 3-0 lead here, will now plan to face either Manchester United or Brighton, one of whom will qualify from the other semifinal.

Manchester City dominating possession with an aim to run out the match. Sheffield, on the other hand, is looking to attack in whatever time it has.

In: Kalvin Phillips, Out: Ilkay Gundogan

The City fans in Wembley look to have found new life and some Sheffield United fans are already making their way out of the stadium.

Sheffield attacks on the counter. One against three, the ball is crossed for Berge but he fails to take control of the ball and City avoid a late goal here.

Talk about positioning! Mahrez gets into the penalty box, receives the cross from Grealish and steers it expertly into the net.

Sergio Gomez decides to go solo this time. He wins the ball in the City half and goes all the way to the final third where he is fouled. City takes the free-kick quickly.

Mahrez wins the ball in the midfield, carries the ball right to the Sheffield penalty box and shoots into the net, leaving the goalkeeper on the ground.

We have reached the hour mark and it is still Sheffield trying its best to keeo City at bay while the boys in blue are leaving no stone unturned to continue their attacks.

McBurny replaces Jebbison as Sheffield United looks for fresh legs to keep its defence intact.

Manchester City starts a quick attack with Alvarez delivering a diaginal cross for Haaland who rushes to steer it into the net. But though he gets a touch, he fails to keep it on target.

City goes on attack again. Gundogan shoots from outside the box but his Akanji and te ball goes out after a deflection off a SUFC player. Mahrez takes the corner and Sheffield makes sure it gets it out for a goal kick.

Manchester City smoothly marching up the pitch. As they get the ball into the Sheffield box, the ball is cleared by the Blades.

City switches play and decides to attack with a back pass and then a long ball right away. Haaland gets the ball to Mahrez, who is surrounded and Blades evade another attack.

Sheffield United has never made its way into the finals. As for now, Manchester City’s lead is quite slender now and can be levelled by Blades.

Another 45 minutes for Manchester City to widen its lead while an opportunity for Blades to punish the ‘exhausted’ Cityzens, at Wembley. Both sides remain unchanged after the break.

The spot-kick by Mahrez separates the two sides in this FA Cup semifinal. Plenty of things to figure out for Sheffield, which has defended really well.

Guardiola’s boys attack on the counter and the cross for Alvarez from the right is just overshot but the linesman had ruled off-side long back.

Mahrez takes a calm penalty with his left-footed strike kissing the bottom-right corner. Manchester City is ahead at Wembley.

The free-kick is struck towards the penalty box melee and the Blades, in a bid to clear it, foul Bernardo in the box and the referee points to the spot.

Gundogan gets the ball running up the pitch. Bernardo gets the ball eventually through a long ball from Mahrez but Norwood is there to intercept and get the ball out of the penalty box.

Bernardo Silva gets the ball to Alvarez, who tries to dribble past the SUFC defence. He beats one but fails to beat the next as the Blades clear the ball out of danger.

The Blades try to go on a counter attack but lose their pace with Mahrez stifling their run.

Manchester City is being closely marked by Sheffield. Haaland makes a run behind the defenders, beats the press and passes to Gomez for a shot. But SUFC gets the ball back.

Bernardo Silva tries to dribbled past the defence. Shifts to his right, then to his left and finally shoots through a gap with no force whatsoever as the ball rolls into the gloves of Foderingham.

Baldock tries to get the ball off Sergio Gomez and kicks on the City player’s shin. He apologizes later and the referee resumes play after a verbal warning.

Manchester City attacks on the counter with Walker carrying the ball along the right flank. The ball gets to Bernardo, whose shot goes out for another corner. Foderingham misses the ball while coming out to punch but SUFC finally clears the ball away.

Robinson’s foul on Bernardo gives City a free-kick. Mahrez takes it and Norwood heads it out of play for a City corner.

Alvarez gets the ball outside the box and this time he flies in a right-footed curler and the Sheffield United goalie makes a good save to deny the Argentine.

Sheffield United continues to just hold the gates as City keeps marching ahead and ahead. Mahrez finally gets the ball at the edge of the box and whips in a left-footed curler. The shot is just wide.

Gundogan and Robinson try to get to the ball at the same time and the German ends up conceding a foul. Sheffield taking all its time to take the free-kick.

The Blades look to attack on the counter this time. Berge and Robinson combine and the final shot is off-target as City looks to get back control now.

Haaland gets the ball and shoots right into the net. But the referee had already ruled a foul against him in the build-up and the cheers of City fans are shushed for now.

Laporte gets the ball off City and tries to build from the back. Sheffield is trying to press as much as it can. It gets the possession back but Cuty steals it eventually.

Gundogan gets the ball from Grealish and gets the ball back to him as City tries an overlap. The ball finally falls to Gomez, whose cross is headed out for a City corner.

The FA Cup semifinal is underway between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Wembley.

Cardiff was the last team from the Championship to get to the FA Cup final. That was in 2008, when Portsmouth won 1-0. Four years earlier, second-division club Millwall advanced to the title match against Manchester United and lost 3-0.

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager:

Sheffield when I saw yesterday when we land from Munich, they play quite similar to when Chris Wilder (was there) in that incredible first season. They are one or two games away from being promoted. It will be an extremely difficult game tomorrow.

Last season we arrived here, last three or four years, and we didn’t perform well. One reason is the fatigue.

This year we have it. The Champions League quarter-final is so draining and we have to recover. Every season I have the feeling we’re not physically ready, hopefully this time we are.

Paul Heckingbottom, Sheffield United manager:

If we achieve what we want to achieve in the league, then this is going to be the kind of test we are facing every single week. So why not try and test ourselves now?

We are not daft, we know we have to focus on playing one of the best teams in the world. We’re not being silly about it. We know we have to have them having an off day and for us to be at our very best, maybe beyond that, to do it. But we’re going to relish it, give it a real go.

It has been 15 years since a team from outside the Premier League reached the FA Cup final.

Sheffield United is looking to end that wait, even if it’s not the priority in a defining few days for the club with plenty on its plate.

On Saturday, the team nicknamed the Blades will attempt to deliver one of the biggest FA Cups shocks in years by beating Manchester City in the first of the semifinal matches at Wembley Stadium this weekend.

Today, Sheffield United can seal a return to the lucrative Premier League with a home win over West Bromwich Albion in the second-division Championship.

In the long term, getting back in the Premier League after an absence of two years is more important for Sheffield United, simply for financial reasons. It will net the club guaranteed income of about 200 million pounds ($250 million) through broadcast deals, prize money and other benefits.

For manager Paul Heckingbottom, the run to the FA Cup semifinals — which has included wins over Hollywood-owned Wrexham and Premier League team Tottenham — has simply been a “break from the league.”

When and where will Manchester City vs Sheffield United be played?

The FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Sheffield United will be played at the Wembley Stadium. The match is scheduled for a 9:30 pm kick-off IST.

When and where to watch Manchester City vs Sheffield United in India?

The FA Cup semifinal, Manchester City vs Sheffield United, will be live telecast on the Sony Ten Network.

How can I live stream the FA Cup semifinal, Manchester City vs Sheffield United?

The FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Sheffield United will be live streamed on Sony LIV.