Silva’s double sends Manchester City into semi-finals at Newcastle’s expense

Manchester City continue to tilt at a remarkable second consecutive treble. Pep Guardiola’s team are 180 minutes away from completing the FA Cup part of the feat and though Ederson and Kevin De Bruyne were missing due to injury, this professional dispatching of Newcastle United again illustrated how the Catalan genius is a master of plotting the route to victory.

And to plotting a path to Wembley for a semi-final in the competition, too. Guardiola has now guided City to seven in his eight seasons in charge, and his feat of six in a row is a record.

Towards the end here, as rain bucketed down, the effervescent Jérémy Doku was replaced by Oscar Bobb – two fresh introductions this season who are perfect emblems of how the manager refreshes and re-energises his side.

Could Newcastle be better than they were in the last round? Could they be any worse was a more pertinent question because, on a cold night at Ewood Park, Howe’s men had scraped past Blackburn on penalties in what was, to characterise it politely, an underwhelming performance.

Then, they were the Premier League big boys expected to play through the Championship side and were shown up as lacking ideas. Here they were the definite second-favourites, so a tie of chasing those in blue around was expected.

This is what occurred, as the holders’ pitter-patter passing moved the visitors about and, as is so often the case, presaged a goal. A move upfield featured Rodri, who slid the ball to Bernardo Silva on the right inside Newcastle’s area. His finish beat Martin Dubravka, the goalkeeper helpless due to a deflection off Dan Burn.

Alexander Isak had previously gone close to haring in on Stefan Ortega’s goal to meet Jacob Murphy’s curving ball from the right before Rúben Dias, hardly a speed-merchant, toe-poked the danger away. This came on the counter, the ploy Newcastle looked to profit by, in a shape that had Burn and Murphy as wing‑backs in a 5-1-3-1.

Yet in several jet-heeled thrusts Doku went close to wiping out the whole zebra-striped defence, one foray causing Jamaal Lascelles to yank him down and be booked. Phil Foden’s resulting free-kick went for a corner, the same player pinged it in, and Erling Haaland rose, unattended at the black post, to connect with a header that was blocked.

City’s next attack was not as, again, a hapless teammate defeated the unfortunate Dubravka. Kyle Walker this time fed Silva in a near-identical zone to his opening strike and his shot was flicked home by Sven Botman. The next time a Newcastle player used his head it was in City’s area and Ortega needed to be alert. A swinging Murphy cross became a Burn nod-down to Isak whose left-foot effort was saved smartly, low down, to Ortega’s left.

Here was a message to City to be careful so Foden decided to turn on the skill. Receiving from Josko Gvardiol, an impish backheel left Fabian Schär a statue and as City’s attacker zoomed in Bruno Guimarães was required to close him down.

In this phase, as the interval approached, City went close to burying Newcastle. More speedster stuff from Doku had him unloading at Dubravka who tipped away and, at the resulting corner, the Slovak clutched a Dias header when, from close-range, the centre-back should have made it 3-0.

Doku was in torment-mode, a bearer of ill tidings for Newcastle whenever the fancy took him. Example: Gvardiol tapped the ball to the Belgian and in a flash a one-two with Foden allowed him to power an effort at goal, with only Dubravka’s fingertips denying him.

Now Haaland decided he’d like a gallop at Newcastle, too. Dropping into his own half to take Mateo Kovacic’s delivery, the No 9 swivelled and headed straight down the middle, scattering the rearguard. As Walker yelled for it along the right, City’s top scorer blazed at the target, missing narrowly to Dubravka’s right.

This drew Guardiola’s applause for what appeared a tactic given to his men during the half-time chat as, moments later, Ortega found Haaland with a clearance. This time, though, the 23-year-old’s touch was awry and the threat fizzled out.

On 60 minutes, after Dubravka cut out a Walker chip, Howe made a quadruple change. Off went Burn plus the anonymous Anthony Gordon, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff. On came Miguel Almirón, Lewis Hall, Elliot Anderson and Lewis Miley. Almirón’s opening salvo was a run down the left but the door was shut to him by back-pedalling home defenders. Then, a collector’s item: Silva dawdled badly and was mugged, and Almirón zipped in centrally. Isak received the ball and a corner was claimed, but City escaped.

Continue to snuff Newcastle out was the task and City did so by threading the ball to each other, demoralising their opponents. Whoever they draw in the last four should not relish facing them.