Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for today's
FA Cup quarter-final between
Swansea City and
Manchester City!
It looks like a tall order for the home side today as they look to halt Man City's quadruple dream, with the English champions having squashed a number of lower-league teams already this season - not to mention Schalke in the Champions League last time out too. This remains the only domestic trophy Guardiola is yet to win, but his side are expected to take another big step towards it today.
Kickoff is in just five minutes' time, so let's have a quick look at the team news before we get underway.
SWANSEA STARTING XI: Nordfeldt; Roberts, Van der Hoorn, Carter-Vickers, Grimes, Byers, Fulton, Celina, Routledge, Dyer, James
SUBS: Mulder, Asoro, McKay, John, Dhanda, Baker-Richardson, Harries
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Delph; Gundogan, Silva, Bernardo; Sane, Mahrez, G Jesus
SUBS: Muric, Danilo, Sterling, Aguero, Zinchenko, Foden, Garcia
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Man City get us underway!
Unsurprisingly, Man City have quickly taken ownership of the ball here. Swansea will need to come to terms with doing a lot of chasing today if they are to keep City at bay.
Walker breaks in behind the defence through sheer pace, latching on to Bernardo's pass. His cross into the middle is put behind for a corner, but that is an ominous early sign.
Swansea are at least looking to press Man City in possession, which is more than Schalke did in midweek. They are determined not to let the visitors have too much time on the ball.
CHANCE! Brilliant from Sane as he skips down the left, beating his man with a drop of the shoulder and nutmeg. He puts plenty of power behind his effort from a tight angle, but Nordfeldt makes a good save. The ball loops into the area, but Mahrez can only nod the follow-up wide when he should have scored.
Delph strides forward in acres of space to leave City with a four-on-three situation. Usually they work that to score, but this time Sane's touch lets him down as he tries to collect Delph's pass.
Already Man City have made a number of dangerous breaks forward and even at this stage you can tell that they are a class above their hosts.
Just as I say that, Swansea make a really good break forward. James advances and beats Otamendi down the left before finding Celina. The former Man City man turns down a shot and a pass to an unmarked teammate on the right, instead running into traffic and seeing a really good position go begging.
Really good tracking back from James, who gets his body between Walker and the ball to deny the full-back a chance. Man City had another four-on-three situation for a moment there, but again failed to make it count.
CHANCE! Nordfeldt denies Man City with another top save! Sane is involved once more as he gets down the left flank before standing the ball up to the back post, where Bernardo is unmarked. The Portuguese watches it all the way and hits a first-time volley towards goal, but the keeper reacts well to make the stop.
The good news for Swansea is that it looks as though Leroy Sane is struggling with a hip injury at the moment. The bad news is that it has prompted Raheem Sterling to go out and warm up.
Sane is trying to run the injury off and it looks as though he is moving a little better now. The German will stay on after all.
Nice football between Routledge and Celina as they play a smart one-two around the Man City box. Routledge's touch lets him down, though, and another good position goes begging for the hosts.
PENALTY! Now then! Swansea have a penalty as Delph brings Roberts to ground inside the area!
GOAL! SWANSEA 1-0 MAN CITY (MATT GRIMES, PENALTY)
GOAL! This wasn't in the script! Swansea take the lead at the Liberty Stadium as
Matt Grimes sends Ederson the wrong way with a really confident penalty.
Delph can have no complaints about the decision as he dived in on Roberts after being beaten by the winger's good first touch. Game on!
© Reuters
There is still a long, long way to go in this match, but at the very least that goal should give Swansea belief that this Man City side are not invincible.
Poor from Grimes as he gives the ball straight to Mahrez, who immediately pounces on it. He plays the ball to Jesus, but the Brazilian's low cross into the middle is too far in front of Sane.
Man City are just a little bit off after that opening goal. Their passing isn't quite as accurate as it usually is and Swansea have been allowed to grow into this game.
Walker tries to swing a cross between goalkeeper and defenders, but he puts it too close to Nordfeldt, who gathers it with ease.
GOAL! SWANSEA 2-0 MAN CITY (BERSANT CELINA)
GOAL! Incredible! Swansea have doubled their lead against Man City, and it is a team goal of the very highest quality!
It goes from keeper all the way forward, with James and Dyer involved in the latter stages to tee up Celina. The attacker still has work to do, but he curls a brilliant finish past the keeper and into the top corner against his former club.
SHOT! Swansea are brimming with belief now! They come forward once again here and this time Roberts tries to curl one into the bottom corner, but it bounces a few yards wide.
SAVE! Another save from Nordfeldt as the ball drops to Bernardo, who drills a first-time half-volley towards goal. It is an awkward one for the keeper, but fortunately it is straight at him and he saves it with his legs.
Here is that second Swansea goal in all its glory - Man City-esque!
OFF THE LINE! What a block this is, and the Swansea fans celebrate it like a goal! Bernardo gets to the byline down the right and fires a low ball into the box for David Silva, who looks certain to score from six yards. Roberts sticks a brilliant foot out to block it on the line, though, and it then hits the keeper before being hacked behind.
Swansea have had only 39% possession in this match so far, but they lead by two goals. Even that is not safe against this Man City side, but they have put themselves in a superb position to pull off a monumental shock.
This is beginning to have the feel of one of those games where things just fall right for Swansea. That certainly didn't look like being the case early on, but not much is going for City right now.
Walker arrows a cross into the box, but it is far too high for the man in the middle. It may not be too long before Guardiola turns to Aguero and Sterling at this rate.
Swansea win a free kick in a good crossing position and Carter-Vickers climbs really well to try to meet Grimes's cross, but it is still just too high.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half. Swansea will be desperate to reach the interval with their lead intact.
HALF TIME: SWANSEA 2-0 MANCHESTER CITY ...and Laporte picks up a yellow card on the way off after squaring up to Routledge.
Well - who saw that coming?! Swansea lead at half time against Manchester City and seem in control of the tie, or at least as in control as you can be against Man City!
It has been a brilliant performance from the hosts, who has been solid at the back and have taken their chances when they have come at the other end too. Man City have an awful lot of work to do to get back into this one!
Swansea's opener came from the penalty spot after Delph jumped into a rash challenge on Roberts, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
From there, Matt Grimes kept his nerve with a really confident effort to send Ederson the wrong way and stun the English champions.
It was the second goal which will dominate the headlines if this one remains the same, though, with Swansea producing a passing move which Man City themselves would have been proud of.
It began with the keeper and the hosts sliced through City's defence brilliantly, eventually setting up Celina to curl a lovely finish past the keeper against his former club. At 1-0 it still seemed like an inevitability that City would get back into it, but at 2-0 there is most certainly doubt over that now.
Still, this is Man City and they have far more than two goals in their locker, so this match is by no means over just yet. There is still a long way to go for Swansea, but they will be flying in their dressing room now and will fully believe that they can pull off a massive
FA Cup upset.
KICKOFF: Swansea get us back underway for the second half!
CLOSE! Another example of things going for Swansea. A low cross into the middle is cleared by Roberts but only against Jesus. Roberts's second clearance then strikes Jesus again before flying wide of the target - that one could have gone anywhere!
SHOT! Celina fancies this one against his former club! He picks the ball up around 15 yards inside his own half and carries it all the way to the edge of the City box before hammering his effort over the bar.
James has been brilliant today and he leaves Otamendi for dead here. He knocks the ball one side of the defender and sprints round the other, making up a good five yards on him. He then cuts back, though, and that allows Otamendi the chance to get back.
Swansea may be breaking this second half down into 10-minute intervals, and they have almost got through the first of those now without any major scares. What a result this would be for them.
Man City, as ever, are getting into plenty of good crossing positions out wide, but their low deliveries have so far been really well dealt with by the hosts.
Speak of the devil! Heroic defending from Swansea as Fulton, Van der Hoorn and Carter-Vickers are make blocks to deny another wave of Man City attacks.
MAN CITY SUBS: Changes from
Pep Guardiola here as Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko replace Sane and Delph.
As things stand, Wales really is the place to be tonight. A Six Nations Grand Slam coupled with this result - and to top it off England have incredibly blown a 31-point lead in their Six Nations finale against Scotland!
SWANSEA SUB: First change of the evening for Swansea as Joel Asoro replaces Dyer.
Risky from Ederson as he comes off his line and out of his area, but he just about beats the striker to the ball. He had to get that one right!
MAN CITY SUB: Guardiola makes his third and final change, and it is time for the biggest gun of all as
Sergio Aguero replaces Mahrez.
James has been such a pain tonight. He darts into the area and goes down when being eased off the ball by Gundogan. The crowd calls for the penalty, but the referee says no.
Nordfeldt has had very little to do in this second half. Man City looked dangerous in the first half, but they have never really got going in this second half. They are far, far short of their best.
GOAL! SWANSEA 2-1 MAN CITY (BERNARDO SILVA)
GOAL! Man City are right back in it! It is a really bad mistake from Roberts as he tries to turn the ball behind for a corner, but lets it hit his standing leg. The ball drops to Aguero, whose effort slams straight into the face of Fulton.
Aguero keeps it alive, though, and pokes it out to Bernardo who produces a delightful finish off the outside of his left foot.
Fulton needed treatment after taking that one square in the jaw. Swansea now have 20 minutes to hold out, and just a one-goal lead to defend! Very much game on again!
CHANCE! Zinchenko drives forward before laying the ball into the path of Sterling, who blazes over from inside the area.
SWANSEA SUB: A change for Swansea to try to turn the tide as Declan John replaces Byers.
Walker puts a low ball into the area and Aguero has found a bit of space, but his touch lets him down. Those sorts of things have been going against the visitors today!
Less than 15 minutes remaining for Swansea to hold out now! The second are ticking away, but no doubt far too slowly for the hosts' liking!
PENALTY! Penalty to Man City! Marriner did not look certain as he pointed to the spot after Sterling went down under a challenge from Carter-Vickers!
GOAL! SWANSEA 2-2 MAN CITY (KRISTOFFER NORDFELDT, OWN GOAL)
GOAL! Man City have not had much luck today, but they have a huge slice here! Swansea are so hard done by with the penalty as Carter-Vickers got a touch on the ball and it was actually a really good challenge.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Aguero then slips when taking the penalty and his effort hits the post before coming back off the goalkeeper's legs and going in! It's an own goal!
CHANCE! Brilliant block from Fulton to deny Bernardo an identical goal to his first!
Now Carter-Vickers throws himself in the way of one. Swansea are putting their bodies on the line here as City's pressure ramps up even more!
CHANCE! Oh my word, how has this one stayed out?! Nordfeldt pulls off an incredible double save to first deny Jesus and then thwart Aguero from the rebound! You would have put your house on Aguero scoring there, but somehow he couldn't turn it home!
CHANCE! Again this one somehow stays out as Aguero is sniffing around inside the six-yard box yet again! Carter-Vickers is in there again though to deny the striker.
Swansea break from the resulting corner as Asoro carries the ball forward, but he never really looks certain as to what to do with it and eventually sees a shot deflected wide.
SHOT! Walker tries his luck from 25 yards but drags his effort and it bounces a couple of yards wide of the target.
GOAL! SWANSEA 2-3 MAN CITY (SERGIO AGUERO)
GOAL! Heartbreak for Swansea as Aguero surely seals the win for Man City at the death. It is a diving header from Bernardo's delivery, but there will be questions over the officials again as he looked to be offside when the cross came in!
There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match!
This is such a hard one for Swansea to take. They have played really well tonight and the final two Man City goals would not have stood had VAR been in use.
FULL TIME: SWANSEA CITY 2-3 MANCHESTER CITY
MAN CITY PROGRESS INTO THE FA CUP SEMI-FINALS!
Such a devastating result for Swansea as they are knocked out of the FA Cup in controversial fashion, having been two goals to the good against the might of Manchester City.
Goals from Grimes and Celina had left the Swans on the brink of the semi-finals, but City stormed back with three goals in the final 21 minutes - although the final two were highly controversial and probably would not have stood with VAR. That debate will rumble on, but for now Man City's quadruple dream remains alive!
Right, that is all we have time for today!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for the FA Cup quarter-final between Swansea and Man City as the quadruple-chasers survive an almighty scare. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction.
A magnificent day of sport continues with Wolves vs. Manchester United this evening too, and you can follow live coverage of that on site from 7.50pm.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
