\n
\nLONDON: In this kind of mood, it will take something special to halt Manchester City\u2019s pursuit of the treble.<\/p>\n
\nJust days after Pep Guardiola\u2019s team advanced to the Champions League semifinals, a place in the FA Cup final was secured by beating Sheffield United 3-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with Riyad Mahrez scoring a hat trick.<\/p>\n
\nCity can also seize control of the English Premier League title race on Wednesday in a showdown with leader Arsenal.<\/p>\n
\nNothing has been won yet, but City\u2019s near-irresistible form is driving them toward the history books as their three-pronged trophy challenge shows no sign of stopping.<\/p>\n
\nManchester United are the only English team to have won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in one season, in 1999. It\u2019s a point of pride for United and their fans, a fact not lost on Guardiola.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThey don\u2019t have to be scared (we will emulate them),\u201d he joked. \u201cWe are neighbors, neighbors are always nice to each other. I said yesterday we are far away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nUnited could yet have a say in City\u2019s potential trophy haul. Erik ten Hag\u2019s team plays Brighton in the second FA Cup semifinal on Sunday, with the chance to set up an all-Manchester final in June.<\/p>\n
\nCity also face the significant test of trying to navigate a way past 14-time winners Real Madrid in the last four of the Champions League.<\/p>\n
\nBut the defending Premier League champion are in ominous form having extended their unbeaten run to 16 games with a routine win against Sheffield.<\/p>\n
\nAny chance of a historic FA Cup shock was effectively ended in the 43rd minute when Mahrez struck from the penalty spot after Daniel Jebbison fouled Bernardo Silva in the box.<\/p>\n
\nMahrez doubled City\u2019s lead in the 61st when running straight through the heart of Sheffield\u2019s defense and firing past Wes Foderingham.<\/p>\n
\nThe third came five minutes later when turning home Jack Grealish\u2019s pass.<\/p>\n
\nCity didn\u2019t need to be at its devastating best, with leading scorer Erling Haaland failing to add to his 48 goals this season in a subdued performance.<\/p>\n
\nIt was down to Mahrez, who didn\u2019t play in either leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich, to do the damage.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHe is always grumpy with me when he doesn\u2019t play. He makes me notice how grumpy he feels,\u201d Guardiola said. \u201cHe is an exceptional player on the big stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nCity\u2019s result in a sixth FA Cup semifinal in seven seasons ended a sequence of three straight losses at this stage.<\/p>\n
\nLEICESTER FINALLY WIN<\/strong><\/p>\n\nA first win in 11 games lifted Leicester out of the relegation zone. Despite going behind to a Matheus Cunha goal, Kelechi Iheanacho and Timothy Castagne struck as the Foxes beat Wolverhampton 2-1 at King Power Stadium to move them out of the bottom three on goal difference.<\/p>\n
\nIt was a good start for new manager Dean Smith in his first home game in charge since replacing the fired Brendan Rodgers.<\/p>\n
\nThat meant Everton dropped to 18th, despite a creditable 0-0 draw at in-form Crystal Palace that highlighted the Merseyside club\u2019s struggles in front of goal.<\/p>\n
\nThe Toffees have scored only 24 times, lowest in the league.<\/p>\n
\nLEEDS LOSE AGAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n\nWhile Leeds avoided a third straight rout, losing to Fulham 2-1 was another blow to the Yorkshire club\u2019s battle to avoid the drop.<\/p>\n
\nHaving conceded 11 goals in it last two games \u2014 losing 5-1 to Palace and 6-1 to Liverpool \u2014 this was certainly an improvement for Javi Gracia\u2019s team, but wins are increasingly hard to come by.<\/p>\n
\nHarry Wilson and Andreas Pereira put Fulham two up before an own goal from Joao Palhinha.<\/p>\n
\nTuesday\u2019s home game against Leicester could be absolutely crucial to both teams\u2019 hopes of survival.<\/p>\n
\nLIVERPOOL FINDING FORM<\/strong><\/p>\n\nJurgen Klopp recorded his 100th league win at Anfield after Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest 3-2.<\/p>\n
\nBut perhaps more importantly, Liverpool\u2019s second win in succession pointed to a long-awaited upturn in form in an inconsistent campaign.<\/p>\n
\nRelegation-threatened Forest twice came back before Mohamed Salah\u2019s winner in the 70th.<\/p>\n
\nDiogo Jota put Liverpool in front twice in the second half, and Forest responded through Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe gave away two goals too easy and in a game like this you have to control possession,\u201d Klopp said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to force it and sometimes we forced it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nDefeat increased the pressure on Forest manager Steve Cooper in an 11-game winless run.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cNobody will be happy coming out of here because we have lost a football match and it adds to the run,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look favorable at all, we know that. But we must take some heart from the spirit and mentality in one of the hardest away games in Europe, never mind the Premier League.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBRENTFORD HOLD VILLA<\/strong><\/p>\n\nAston Villa\u2019s five-game winning streak was halted in a 1-1 draw at Brentford.<\/p>\n
\nThe Midlands club sparked hopes of an unlikely push for the top four after winning seven of its last eight games before Saturday. But Ivan Toney\u2019s goal put Brentford on the brink victory before Douglas Luiz struck in the 87th to earn a draw for Villa.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWe can play better and we have to demand to play better for the next matches,\u201d Villa manager Unai Emery said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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