It was well past 5.30pm today when finally this FA Cup semi-final burst into life and, though it was rather late in the time for Chelsea to finally stake a claim to the fit, it was well worth the wait. Before then, Roberto Mancini's team had done just about everything apart from score the goals their dominance of the fit guaranteed. With just over 25 minutes outstanding, the score at 2-1 and the message draining the life span out of the legs of two tired clubs it eventually became either way that might be gone by a Cup tie. As Chelsea threw themselves at their resistance with the sort of depth they'd failed to gather for the past time, they could have scored the equaliser. Some old animosities increased to the outer lining, maybe not least when Sergio Aguero lunged two-footed at David Luiz. Fernando Torres exacted retribution on Aguero. Suddenly it felt like something was at stake. It absolutely was surely preferable to the last day's activity when Millwall supporters old enough to know better were trading blows with one another and fighting with police. If the Football Association needed a great sport to divert attention from Saturday's ordeal then it had been yesterday and, in the long run, they got the entire quota of pleasure, debatable refereeing performances and aggrieved losers. Rafael Benitez said the umpire, Chris Foy, had got it wrong when it found Vincent Kompany's pull on the top of Torres on 87 minutes, a "clear penalty" according to the interim first-team coach and perhaps a red card also. He was less worried about the altogether more spectacular press by Aguero on Luiz that used an earlier knee by the Chelsea opponent on his opposition. Overrun in the very first half it took way too miss Chelsea to spark. They sooner or later scored within minutes of Torres coming on as alternative when he and Demba Ba chased a long ball from Luiz and the Senegalese striker improvised exceptionally to volley past Costel Pantilimon. From then on, motivated largely by Eden Hazard, they could have obtained the equaliser as City dropped back in their very own half and asked the force. It had been a very different story in the first half when it felt like Chelsea had quit the ghost and City's one regret was they came in at half-time just a target ahead. Benitez's side had eight changes from the defeat to Rubin Kazan in Moscow on Thursday but was equivalent to the group that beat Sunderland a week earlier. The absolute novelty of the Europa League contrasted with Chelsea's general familiarity with the FA Cup a' they've won it four times in the last six decades a' means while yesterday was a strike, of the two pot contests it's probably the less significant of the two. Benitez's stated purpose in recent days, with the sources at his disposal, has been a top-three finish and one of two trophies a' which will be still feasible. In many respects this sport resembled why both City and Chelsea, with their well-resourced squads and experienced managers, have been not able to challenge Manchester United continually over the span of the summer season. At times both were capable of exhilarating baseball, especially City, it should be said. If they felt the tide turn against them but both also appeared notably weak. The initial goal arrived on 35 minutes, from Samir Nasri however it needs to have been a lot earlier. The Frenchman exchanged passes with Aguero and once the ball came ultimately back to him it fell generously from Cesar Azpilicueta's challenge for him to take past Petr Cech. When this occurs Kompany had been required to clear Hazard's high-bouncing volley off the line but little else. Town needs to have had another before half-time once the ball fell to Aguero and then James Milner in the region. Then two minutes to the new half the Argentine striker headed the ball superbly back over Cech from Gareth Barry's cross. Yaya TourA was dominant in midfield at that level. It appeared to be an instance of just how many objectives City might score. The goal from Ba changed the feeling entirely. Soon after, Hazard cut the ball back to Ba and he'd his chance saved by Pantilimon, Mancini's goalkeeper of preference up to now in the FA Cup. The Town director would not be drawn on whether Pantilimon would start before Joe Hart at Wembley against Wigan in the ultimate on 11 May a' "we have four weeks to determine that" a' nonetheless it certainly would appear this way. Feeling threat, Mancini brought off Carlos Tevez, pushed TourA up into the position behind Aguero and brought on Javi Garcia to shore up the heart of midfield. Ultimately it worked although not before City seemed to admit the energy with their competitors. TourA, charging forward on 80 minutes should have passed to Pablo Zabaleta, in an improved position to report. Aguero's lunge at Luiz was a offence if the referee had a proper view of it but, as ever, it is impossible to be the matter of further action. Foy will surely say that he found the event, but not its full intensity, which will prevent any FA activity. The usual row will happen for a couple days and then baseball will, as ever, move on. Even in those final moments of the overall game, Benitez resisted any temptation he might have had to create on Frank Lampard. The afternoon was also spent by john Terry watching from the bench. The pair have, of course, had to get familiar with their new position during the last few months but, however, these are times of change. Those two are Wembley and FA Cup stalwarts; certainly Terry may be the veteran of five Chelsea FA Cup triumphs 13 years dating back to. But the staff is changing and Benitez is arranging according to the rigorous demands they've encountered. Now out the FA Cup, their possible week from hell of four games in eight days between 5 May and 12 May only has three games. There's virtually no time to sleep with Fulham awaiting at Craven Cottage on Wednesday and the chance to reclaim next invest the Premier League from Arsenal. For City, their year keeps out the chance of a prize against Wigan in 26 days time. They've finally hit some kind and, while too late to recover the group, it's better late than never.
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