MAN CITY 1 – 0 Reading – PLAYER RATINGS

Hart - Commanded his box very well, which is occasionaly what lets him down, so that was pleasing to see. Reading didn’t force him into any moments of real worry though - 6

 Richards - Not his usual verve and panache in attack but was in the right place at the right time to send us into the semi-finals. For the most part, he was solid defensively, although he does sometimes let the ball bounce in the box when he would be better off clearing it - 7

Kompany - Couple of slightly rash early tackles but was generally solid. Kept the potentially troublesome Shane Long quiet and brought the ball forward a couple of times to good effect - 6.5

Lescott - Looking reliable every game he plays now. Has improved tremendously in the past few games and was assured against yesterday. Good use of possession - 7

Kolarov - I’m still unsure what to make of Kolarov. He was hunted for two years by José Mourinho who wanted him at Real Madrid so he can’t be a bad defender, but that is exactly what he looks like at the moment. The weak link of the back four and was given a torrid time by Kébé. His offensive work is usually partially redeeming but not in this game. Distinctly average - 5  

De Jong – Adds a bite and tempo to our midfield. Won his tackles and then started our moves. We look a much more compact and impressive unit when he plays. Knows his limitations and sticks to them - 7.5

Y. Touré - One thunderbolt of a shot, two decent runs near the end, and not much else. That is why he frustrates me so much: we know what he is capable of, yet he doesn’t produce enough of it. I know he’s played a lot of games recently, but matches like this need someone to take it by the scruff of its neck. Yaya doesn’t do that - 5.5

Vieira - After two or three impressive recent showings, this was back to the ’brain thinks quickly, but legs too slow’ days. He knows what he needs to do, but just can’t do it quickly enough - 5

SWP - A rare opportunity for SWP but he couldn’t grasp it. Looked pacey at times but lost the ball far too often. Needs to play regularly to get his confidence back, yet we can’t afford to give him that time - 6

Silva - A pleasure to watch. Makes us tick with his intricate passing, delicate touches and ingenious creativity. His touch to lift the ball over the defender on the corner of Reading’s area was sublime, and whilst he tired slightly towards the end, he was still the best player on the pitch - 8

Tévez - Worked tirelessly on his own upfront, thriving in the absence of Balotelli and Džeko which left him as the main man. Picked the wrong option a couple of times in the first half but got better as the game went on. Will be crucial on Thursday - 7.5

 Subs

Balotelli - Very languid and relaxed when he came on. I’d expect him to start against Dynamo - 6

Barry - No time to mark

Boyata - No time to mark