Manchester City's bid for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies stayed alive Saturday thanks to late goals by Ilkay Gündoğan and Kevin De Bruyne in a 2-0 win over Everton in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
Pep Guardiola's players are sweeping all before them this season, having reached the final of the English League Cup, the quarterfinals of the Champions League and forged a 14-point lead in the Premier League.
It looked like their match against Everton was heading to extra time when Gündoğan stooped to head the ball into an empty net in the 84th minute after a shot from Aymeric Laporte was tipped onto the bar by goalkeeper João Virgínia.
It was the Germany midfielder's 12th goal in all competitions in 2021, more than any other player in the Premier League.
De Bruyne, who started the match on the bench, ensured City's progress to the last four with a goal in the 90th minute, running onto a pass by Rodri and switching the ball to his left foot before scoring with a composed finish.
"There will be a few more games like this, I think," Gündoğan said, "but we have to be ready for them. If you want to win trophies and fight for everything, you have to find a way to win."
City also won the FA Cup in 2019 as part of a domestic treble under Guardiola. The team is trying to go one better this season, though the Champions League has so far proved elusive for City despite the club's heavy spending under its Abu Dhabi ownership over the past decade.
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti said his side lost to "the best team in the world at this moment."
"We wanted to keep them uncomfortable … we defended well, didn't concede space. We played the game we wanted to play," he said. "But they are the best team and they have the best bench in the world."
Guardiola refuses to entertain any questions about the possible quadruple, which has never been achieved in English soccer. All he wants now is for his players to return to the club fit and healthy after the upcoming international break.
"Hopefully the (coronavirus) bubbles are controlled," Guardiola said. "I'm looking forward to everyone coming back safe."
Southampton is the other team through to the FA Cup semifinals after beating second-tier Bournemouth 3-0 earlier Saturday.
The other quarterfinal games are on Sunday and both are all-Premier League matchups: Leicester vs. Manchester United and Chelsea vs. Sheffield United.
REDMOND SHINES
Southampton made it to the last four for the second time in four seasons, with Nathan Redmond scoring twice and setting up another goal against Bournemouth.
Redmond slipped in Moussa Djenepo for the opener in the 37th then scored a superb solo goal in first-half stoppage time, dribbling into the area and skirting a challenge before firing a shot into the top corner.
Redmond added the third in the 59th with a precise, angled shot into the bottom corner after an effort from outside the area by Stuart Armstrong came back off the post.
Southampton also reached the semifinals in 2018, losing to Chelsea.
