Man City overcame Notts County 5-0 to advance to a fifth-round FA Cup meeting with Aston Villa.
Vieira strikes twice to set up Villa clash
Manchester City produced an impressive performance to overcome Notts County 5-0 at Eastlands and advance to a fifth-round FA Cup meeting with Aston Villa.
Notts County showed they could compete with City in the original tie at Meadow Lane, which finished 1-1, and they started well in the replay with Karl Hawley's wonderful curling effort hitting the inside of the post.
However, City started to take control as the first half progressed and broke the deadlock on 37 minutes when Patrick Vieira headed in at the near post from David Silva's corner.
Vieira headed in from another corner just before the hour mark to double City's advantage and the resistance from County fell away in the closing stages.
Carlos Tevez came off the substitutes' bench to score a classy third in the 84th minute and then set up Edin Dzeko to make it 4-0.
Micah Richards completed the rout in stoppage-time to bring County's run in the competition to an end and keep City dreams alive.
Bright start
County had made a bright start and from the off they attacked City, almost taking advantage of an early error from Joe Hart when he flapped at a deep free-kick. Only the considerable frame of Yaya Toure getting in the way of Neil Bishop's shot spared the goalkeeper's blushes.
Krystian Pearce headed over the corner while Hart took no risks with Alan Gow's dipping free-kick, opting to tip it around the post.
County's best chance came midway through the first half when Hawley cut in from the left to curl a right-footed shot beyond Hart only to be denied by the far post with the ball agonisingly rolling back across the face of the goal.
But the tide began to turn just before the half-hour, starting when Stuart Nelson saved brilliantly from Dzeko's close-range header.
Aleksandar Kolarov tested the goalkeeper from outside the penalty area, Dzeko failed to connect with a free header, Mario Balotelli thought he should have had a penalty when he crashed to the floor in the area under a challenge from Craig Westcarr and Richards wastefully headed over.
Balotelli also had a low shot from Silva's cross turned behind by Nelson but even his resistance had to break some time, although City's opener was not without some luck.
Silva's corner was met by the head of Vieira but it was the touch off Pearce which ultimately beat the County goalkeeper.
Extinguished
County came out after the break with renewed determination but their fire was quickly extinguished 13 minutes after the restart when Vieira met Kolarov's corner to power home his second header of the game.
But a clash of heads between Balotelli and Pearce at the set-piece ended the Italian's participation as Tevez came on to replace him.
However, before the temperamental striker, unhappy about his substitution, departed down the tunnel he appeared to aim a few words in Roberto Mancini's direction.
The visitors pressed on gamely and Gow drew a superb two-handed tip-over from Hart with his shot from range.
But their valiant fight was ended six minutes from time when Tevez outsprinted the defence to round Nelson and roll the ball into an empty net.
County undeservedly conceded two further late goals when Tevez crossed for Dzeko to head in from close range and Richards blasted home from a corner.
There was still time left for Dzeko to shoot straight at Nelson with only the goalkeeper to beat as County's defence was torn apart again.
| Manchester City |
Team Statistics |
Notts County |
| 5 |
Goals |
0 |
| 1 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 10 |
Shots on Target |
3 |
| 7 |
Shots off Target |
8 |
| 3 |
Blocked Shots |
2 |
| 12 |
Corners |
5 |
| 16 |
Fouls |
10 |
| 3 |
Offsides |
3 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 83.4 |
Passing Success |
69.8 |
| 23 |
Tackles |
20 |
| 69.6 |
Tackles Success |
80 |
| 63 |
Possession |
37 |
| 45.9 |
Territorial Advantage |
54.1 |
|
