Hat-trick hero Riyad Mahrez fired Manchester City into the FA Cup finals after they secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday.
With Mahrez’s great performance, City beat the underdogs from the Championship and ended their streak of losing three straight FA Cup semi-finals.
The 32-year-old broke United’s defence with a penalty at the end of the first half, and he finished off his hat trick with two more goals after the break.
The winner of Sunday’s match between Manchester United and Brighton will play City in the Wembley final on June 3.
The team coached by Pep Guardiola is back in the final for the first time since 2019, when they won the FA Cup for the only time during his tenure.
They are the first team since Everton in 1966 to get to the final without giving up a single goal.
“It is the fourth season in a row we are in the semi-finals. We could not win in the past but today we performed,” Guardiola said.
“We cannot forget we were in Munich three days ago. It could be hard. We had to perform well and we did it. All the guys who came in were perfect.
“I’m really happy for the club to be back in the final after many years.”
On Mahrez’s match-winning contribution, Guardiola added: “Riyad is grumpy with me all the time when he doesn’t play. He makes me notice.
“When he plays, he is there, that is most important. He is a big-stage player. I’m so satisfied for Riyad.”
City has won 11 of their last 12 games in all competitions, and they are still on track to win a historic treble as they chase Arsenal in the Premier League and face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.
“We are far away,” Guardiola of the treble. “But after many years, winning so many titles, still we are here one more year in the latter stages of the big competitions.
“The mentality of the club, not just the players, is there. This is why I like to be at this club.”
On Friday, bottom-placed Southampton held Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 3-3 draw, which was good news for second-placed City.
After that loss, the champions were five points behind Arsenal, but they still had two games in hand before their important match against Arsenal in Manchester on Wednesday.
Photo by EPA/TOLGA AKMEN
