Manchester City’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies stayed alive Saturday thanks to late goals by Ilkay Gundogan 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 Gundogan 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 Joao Virginia.
It was the Germany midfielder’s 12th goal in all competitions in 2021, more than any other player in the Premier League.
De Bruyne ensured City’s progress to the last four with a composed finish in the 90th minute at the end of a counterattack.
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.
Southampton is the other team through to the FA Cup semifinals after beating second-tier Bournemouth 3-0 earlier Saturday.
The other quarterfinal games will be played on Sunday and both are all-Premier League matchups: Leicester vs. Manchester United and Chelsea vs. Sheffield United.