FA Cup Final Bound: Man City's Mahrez Hat-Trick Leads 3-0 Win over Sheffield United - Player Ratings

Manchester City secured their spot in the FA Cup final with a dominant 3-0 win over Sheffield United, thanks to a hat-trick from Riyad Mahrez - the first FA Cup semi-final hat-trick since 1958.

Although the Blades held their own in the first half, Mahrez broke through just before half-time with a penalty, before adding two more in the second half. Despite early chances for both sides, it was City who eventually took control, with Sheffield United struggling to maintain their defensive work rate throughout the game.

The result means City are one step closer to securing their first trophy of the season, while the Blades will be left to reflect on what might have been.

Player Ratings:

Manchester City

• GK: Stefan Ortega - 6/10 - Did well to deny Sheffield United's early chance, but was otherwise untested.
• CB: Kyle Walker - 6/10 - Struggled to make an impact going forwards in the first half, but was aided by extra space in the second.
• CB: Manuel Akanji - 7/10 - Alert and powerful in defence, one of his better games in recent weeks.
• CB: Aymeric Laporte - 6/10 - A shaky start, but regained his composure after the break.
• DM: Ilkay Gundogan - 7/10 - A key player for City, constantly looking to stretch United's defence with his passing.
• RM: Bernardo Silva - 7/10 - Frustrated at times, but won the penalty that kicked off City's scoring.
• LM: Sergio Gomez - 6/10 - Struggled in the first half, but grew into the game after the break.
• AM: Julian Alvarez - 6/10 - A real threat with his shooting and pressing tempo.
• RW: Riyad Mahrez - 9/10 - The star performer of the match, scoring a hat-trick that secured City's win.
• ST: Erling Haaland - 5/10 - Was marked out of the game by Sheffield United.
• LW: Jack Grealish - 7/10 - Caused problems regularly and provided a great assist for Mahrez's third goal.
• Cole Palmer (68' for Grealish) - 6/10
• Phil Foden (68' for Haaland) - 6/10
• Kalvin Phillips (75' for Gundogan) - 6/10
• Rico Lewis (82' for Silva) - N/A
• Pep Guardiola - 6/10 - Despite a less-than-perfect performance, Guardiola will be pleased with the opportunity to keep some of his key players fresh for their upcoming match against Arsenal.

Sheffield United

• GK: Wes Foderingham - 5/10 - Despite making a handful of decent saves, was unable to prevent City from scoring.
• CB: Anel Ahmedhodzic - 5/10 - Put up a stubborn defence in the first half, but struggled to contain City's attack after the break.
• CB: John Egan - 6/10 - Enjoyed a solid battle with Haaland, but couldn't keep up with City's tempo for the full 90 minutes.
• CB: Jack Robinson - 5/10 - Part of an organised defence in the first half, but lost his footing against Mahrez in the second half.
• RM: George Baldock - 5/10 - Fought hard against Grealish, but struggled to contain City's attack overall.
• CM: Sander Berge - 6/10 - His physicality in midfield was a problem for City and helped to slow down their attack at times.
• CM: Oliver Norwood - 7/10 - A strong performance from Norwood, who disrupted City's flow and caused problems whenever possible.
• CM: John Fleck - 5/10 - Didn't offer much besides adding another body to get in City's way.
• LM: Max Lowe - 5/10 - Struggled against Mahrez in the second half.
• ST: Daniel Jebbison - 5/10 - Had a solid performance, but was unable to avoid conceding the penalty that led to City's opening goal.
• ST: Iliman Ndiaye - 5/10 - Missed the early chance and was left isolated for much of the match.
• Oli McBurnie (58' for Jebbison) - 5/10
• Billy Sharp (68' for Fleck) - 5/10
• Chris Basham (75' for Ahmedhodzic) - 5/10
• Ismaila Coulibaly (75' for Berge) - 5/10

Jayden Bogle (75' for Baldock) - 5/10

Paul Heckingbottom - 6/10 - Got everything perfect in the first half but the penalty ruined his game plan. Was no match for City in the second half but deserves credit for trying to go for a comeback win.

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