Sunday 17 April 2011

Man City beats United 1-0 to reach FA Cup final

Posted by chardyboy on Sunday, April 17, 2011 0 comments

source: associated press



LONDON (AP) — Manchester City ended Manchester United's chances of winning three trophies in the same season, beating its local rival 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to reach its first FA Cup final in 30 years.

Chelsea kept alive its faint hopes of retaining the Premier League title with a 3-1 win at West Bromwich Albion.

Yaya Toure scored in the 52nd minute for City, leaving United in contention for only the domestic championship and Champions League. Toure scored after intercepting a poor clearance by Michael Carrick. United was reduced to 10 men in the 72nd minute when Paul Scholes drew a red card for a dangerous lunge.

Toure dedicated his goal to his brother and teammate, Kolo, who is suspended for a failed doping test. Kolo Toure faces a two-year ban after testing positive for a substance that his former manager at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, said was in a diet pill belonging to the defender's wife.

"I am very sad for him at this moment in time. He is a professional player and he wants to play," Yaya Toure said. "People make mistakes sometimes. It is part of life. It is part of sport."

City is fourth in the Premier League and on course to qualify for next year's Champions League. It plays Stoke or Bolton in the May 14 final — when it will try to end a 35-year streak without a trophy.

"We've done nothing yet," City goalkeeper Joe Hart said. "We've got ourselves into a good position in the league and we've put ourselves in the final."

Backed by an investment of about $1 billion by owner Sheikh Mansour since 2008, City now has a shot at a first trophy since the 1976 League Cup. It reached the 1981 FA Cup final, but lost a replay to Tottenham.

"The boys are over the moon; the club are over the moon," Hart said.

United was without suspended Wayne Rooney while Javier Hernandez, who scored in Tuesday's Champions League victory over Chelsea, was benched.

With six games left, United is seven points ahead of Arsenal in the chase for the Premier League title and plays Schalke in a two-leg Champions League semifinal this month.

Chelsea recovered from a 1-0 deficit, getting goals from Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Frank Lampard to move the defending champions within eight points of United. Arsenal hosts Liverpool on Sunday.

Everton continued its late-season rally with a 2-0 win over Blackburn. Birmingham eased its relegation worries with a 2-0 win over Sunderland, and Aston Villa did likewise with a 2-1 victory at West Ham.

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