The tame back pass from John Stones trickled toward Zack Steffen. Just a simple clearance was needed by Manchester City’s backup goalkeeper with Liverpool already leading.
One touch controlled the pass. The second touch was … doing what? The dawdling American just took too long.
Before the ball could be hoofed clear, Sadio Mane raced into the penalty area and slid in to nudge the ball over the line.
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“It is an accident,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “It happens.”
Liverpool moved into a two-goal lead — building on Ibrahima Konate’s header — and Mane scored again before halftime with a volley beating Steffen at his near post. A 3-2 victory was secured at Wembley Stadium on Saturday after withstanding a City comeback with Jack Grealish scoring two minutes into the second half and Bernardo Silva netting in stoppage time.
Liverpool is into its first FA Cup final in 10 years, and Chelsea or Crystal Palace await next month.
The quadruple is still on also for Liverpool.
But there’s only two paths to trophies for City, and Liverpool could thwart both.
Their tussle for the English Premier League trophy is far tighter than this FA Cup semifinal suggested, where Liverpool’s superiority was clear in the first half before goals from Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva gave hope of a City comeback.
Their 2-2 draw last Sunday in the league prevented Liverpool from moving into first place, and left City a point in front.
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There could yet be a fourth instalment of this rivalry this season in Paris next month if they win semifinals to reach the Champions League final. That would see Liverpool contest three finals in 2022 having already won the League Cup at Wembley.
The strain on the squads meant Liverpool and City made seven changes from their Champions League quarterfinal wins in midweek, and Jürgen Klopp’s side had the greater depth to prevail in the heat of London.
“We started very well, we pressed them high and the goalkeeper made the mistake,” Mane said. “The performance of the team was fantastic.”
Liverpool’s win came after unfortunate pre-match scenes from the City fans saw the club issue an official apology.
City apologised to Liverpool and condemned supporters who chanted during a minute’s silence to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
Referee Michael Oliver cut short the commemoration to the victims from the 1989 crush before the FA Cup semifinal which City lost 3-2 at Wembley Stadium.
“It felt really wrong in that moment,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp said, accepting City’s apology.
The chanting came from the end with City fans at the national football stadium and it was followed by boos from Liverpool supporters. Amid the noise, Oliver blew his whistle to signal a premature end to the intended period of silence that had seen both sets of players gather around the centre circle.
“Manchester City are extremely disappointed with the actions of some City supporters during the minute’s silence before today’s game,” City said in a statement. “The club sincerely apologises to all those connected with Liverpool Football Club.”
A crush before the 1989 FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham at Hillsborough Stadium led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.
The 97th victim of Britain’s worst sports disaster was announced last year when Andrew Devine died at the age of 55 from long-term injuries sustained at Hillsborough. Liverpool coroner’s court concluded he was “unlawfully killed.”