Manchester City booked their place in the next round of the FA Cup after they beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side got off to a firing start and took the lead as early as the third minute when Pablo Zabaleta was played into space down the right before crossing the ball to Raheem Sterling. He scuffed his strike, but David Silva made no mistake from the rebound.

Boro came close to level matters in the 22nd minute when Rudy Gestede rose highest to power a header towards goal, but Claudio Bravo made the save, and then fumbled the ball only for Zabaleta to clear the ball off the line.

City nearly doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Silva broke into space down the right before sending the ball across the face of goal, but no blue shirt could fire the ball home from close range.

Four minutes later Boro had a chance of their own when De Roon sent a first-time cross into the box and on to Stuani, but the Uruguayan could only head his effort straight at Bravo.

In the first 45 minutes, City went into the half time interval with a 1-0 lead over Middlesbrough.

City continued to dominated in the second half and came close to doubling their lead when De Bruyne sent his pass across the face of goal, but Silva put his effort over the bar.

In the 51st minute Guardiola’s side nearly extended their lead when Sterling sent the ball to the near post for Sergio Aguero, but the Argentine’s flick hit the post after taking a slight deflection off Guzan’s foot.

However, in the 67th minute City doubled their lead when Leroy Sane surged down the flank, before firing across the face of goal, where Aguero was on hand to put the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Boro had a chance to reduce the deficit when Ramirez almost found his way through the City defence, but Bravo did well to come off his line and timed his challenge to perfection to dispossess the Boro midfielder.

City responded well a minute later when they had a goal dissallowed, as Aguero hammered an effort at goal from distance which was spilled at the feet of Sterling by Guzan before slotting his strike home, but the flag was up for offside.

Middlesbrough had another chance at goal when Traore sent a deep cross into the box for Negredo. The Spaniard headed the ball back to Fabio , who headed at goal and beat Bravo, but his effort was cleared off the line by John Stones.

In the 82nd minute, De Bruyne fired a delightful ball across the face of goal and Nolito slid at the back post in an attempt to make contact with the ball, but it evaded him by millimetres.

However, City managed to keep a hold of their 2-0 lead until the final minute to book their place in the next round of the FA Cup.