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Sergio Ag\u00fcero kept Manchester City on course to retain the FA Cup with the only goal in a disappointing fifth-round tie at Sheffield Wednesday.<\/p>\nSergio Ag\u00fcero kept Manchester City on course to retain the FA Cup with the only goal in a disappointing fifth-round tie at Sheffield Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Ag\u00fcero\u2019s 23rd goal of the season in all competitions early in the second half ensured a routine win for the holders, three days after sealing back-to-back Carabao Cup triumphs at Wembley.<\/p>\n
The Argentinian registered his 254th goal in all competitions for City in 367 appearances \u2013 one more than Wayne Rooney scored for Manchester United in 553 matches.<\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola\u2019s side crashed out of the FA Cup at the same stage two years ago when losing 1-0 at Wigan, but there was never a hint of an upset at Hillsborough.<\/p>\n
Wednesday have slipped out of the Sky Bet Championship play-off picture after winning only one of their nine previous league matches and City rarely ventured beyond second gear.<\/p>\n
Owls winger Jacob Murphy curled an early long-range effort wide and Ag\u00fcero somehow failed to connect with Benjamin Mendy\u2019s low cross six yards out.<\/p>\n
But otherwise it was an uneventful opening \u2013 and things did not get much better.<\/p>\n
Home captain Barry Bannan spurned a decent chance when over-hitting a free-kick on the edge of the area and Gabriel Jesus was also wasteful, with a poor headed effort from John Stones\u2019 deft cross.<\/p>\n
Jesus should also have done better with Ag\u00fcero\u2019s diagonal ball over the top as Wednesday retreated into their own half and in the 32nd minute Nicolas Otamendi headed Riyad Mahrez\u2019s free-kick against the crossbar.<\/p>\n
Stones met another ball in from Mahrez at the far post, but his downward header bounced over the bar as the first half ended goalless.<\/p>\n
Wednesday, 3-0 down at half-time on the same pitch against Derby on Saturday, will have considered the first part of their damage limitation exercise successful.<\/p>\n
At the start of the second period Ag\u00fcero\u2019s effort was gathered by Joe Wildsmith and the Wednesday goalkeeper then brilliantly tipped Mendy\u2019s thumping drive on to the crossbar.<\/p>\n
Wildsmith pulled off another superb save to deny Bernardo Silva, but was culpable soon after when City broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute.<\/p>\n
Ag\u00fcero spun on to Mendy\u2019s pass into the box and Wilder was only able to parry the Argentinian\u2019s shot up and over the goal-line instead of pushing it clear of danger.<\/p>\n
There was a hint of offside to the goal and it may have been checked had a video assistant referee been in operation.<\/p>\n
Wildsmith kept out Mahrez\u2019s shot as City chased a second, while Wednesday had failed to muster an effort on target in the second half before Alex Hunt\u2019s rare ball into City\u2019s box just eluded fellow substitute Steven Fletcher.<\/p>\n
Late substitute Raheem Sterling was sent on to finish the job and he was also denied by Wildsmith in time added on.<\/p>\n