Manchester United will host bitter rivals and Premier League champions Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
United edged past Championship side Watford in the third round as the Reds cruised past a much-changed Aston Villa, who had to field a squad made up entirely of youth players amid a coronavirus outbreak.
While Liverpool have re-established themselves as the standard-bearers in the Premier League in recent years, they are looking to end a lengthy drought in the FA Cup.
The Reds have not won the competition since 2005-06 when they beat West Ham on penalties, with their most-recent final appearance in 2012 a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
If they are to finally end that wait, they will have to get one over their old nemesis in United, who this season appear to be rising to the challenge set by Liverpool in the Premier League.
United last won the FA Cup in 2015-16 and were beaten by Chelsea in the showpiece two years later – only Arsenal (14) have won the competition more than the Red Devils (12).
Whoever progresses will face either non-league side Stockport County, West Ham or Doncaster Rovers in the fifth round.
Another of the favourites, Manchester City, will expect to cruise through the next couple of rounds given they go to League Two's Cheltenham Town first and then face Swansea City or Nottingham Forest if they avoid a fourth-round shock.
The lowest-ranked side in the draw, sixth-tier Chorley Town, host Wolves, while Tottenham go to Wycombe Wanderers and Chelsea welcome Luton Town to Stamford Bridge.
FA Cup fourth-round draw in full:
Cheltenham Town v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Crawley Town
Swansea City v Nottingham Forest
Manchester United v Liverpool
Southampton/Shrewsbury Town v Arsenal
Barnsley v Norwich City
Chorley Town v Wolves
Millwall v Bristol City
Brighton and Hove Albion v Blackpool
Wycombe Wanderers v Tottenham
Fulham v Burnley
Sheffield United v Plymouth Argyle
Chelsea v Luton Town
Stockport County/West Ham v Doncaster Rovers
Brentford v Leicester City
Everton v Sheffield Wednesday
Full FA Cup fifth-round draw:
Fulham/Burnley v Bournemouth/Crawley Town
Manchester United/Liverpool v Stockport County/West Ham or Doncaster
Barnsley/Norwich City v Chelsea/Luton Town
Everton/Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers/Tottenham
Swansea City/Nottingham Forest v Cheltenham Town/Manchester City
Brentford/Leicester City v Brighton and Hove Albion/Blackpool
FA Cup fifth-round draw in full:
Fulham/Burnley v Bournemouth/Crawley Town
Manchester United/Liverpool v Stockport County/West Ham or Doncaster
Barnsley/Norwich City v Chelsea/Luton Town
Everton/Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe Wanderers/Tottenham
Swansea City/Nottingham Forest v Cheltenham Town/Manchester City
Brentford/Leicester City v Brighton and Hove Albion/Blackpool
Sheffield United or Plymouth Argyle v Millwall or Bristol City
Chorley or Wolves v Southampton or Shrewsbury Town or Arsenal
Manchester United will host bitter rivals and Premier League champions Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Where will Erling Haaland be playing in 2021-22?
The Borussia Dortmund forward has a long list of admirers, particularly in England.
Both Manchester clubs want Haaland, though City fancy their chances.
TOP STORY – CITY BELIEVE THEY HOLD HAALAND EDGE OVER UTD
Manchester City are hoping to use their Jadon Sancho sell-on clause to beat neighbours Manchester United to the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland, according to The Sun.
Haaland is a player in demand, linked to the likes of City, United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool following his exploits for Dortmund.
City have a 15 per cent sell-on clause following Sancho's move to Dortmund in 2017 and they believe it could help in their Haaland pursuit, with the Premier League giants open to waiving or renegotiating the clause.
Sancho was tipped to join United ahead of the 2020-21 season.
ROUND-UP
- French journalist Julien Laurens doubts Paris Saint-Germain will be able to afford Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has been linked to PSG, City and Inter but Laurens feels the Ligue 1 champions will not be able to financially accommodate Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
- Atletico Madrid are poised to prise Moussa Dembele from Lyon, reports Fabrizio Romano. After Diego Costa's exit, Atletico are set to complete a loan deal with the option to buy.
- Le10Sport claims Manchester United are set to rival PSG for the signing of Brest midfielder Romain Faivre.
- The Telegraph says Napoli are keen on signing Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney. The Serie A side were keen on the Scotland international before he swapped Celtic for Arsenal in 2019.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is in isolation after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.
Aguero was expected to feature in Sunday's FA Cup clash with Birmingham City at the Etihad Stadium after recovering from knee and hamstring problems.
However, he was not in the matchday squad, with Gabriel Jesus starting the 3-0 victory over the Championship side.
Manager Pep Guardiola later confirmed that 32-year-old Aguero is isolating despite returning a negative test for COVID-19.
"Unfortunately, he was in contact more than usual with one person who is positive," Guardiola said after the match. "He must isolate for a few days.
"I don't know exactly because he has been tested like all of us six times in the last 10-15 days so it is negative. Today I think he was negative too but the protocols says in some cases isolate, and in other cases we still play football.
"He was not able to play today."
Aguero, whose contract expires at the end of the season, has only made three starts for City in all competitions in 2020-21.
In his absence on Sunday, two goals from Bernardo Silva and another from Phil Foden secured City's place in the fourth round of the cup.
Guardiola's men return to Premier League action at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday and host Crystal Palace next Sunday.
Manchester City eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup thanks to a Bernardo Silva-inspired 3-0 win at home to Birmingham City on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola made the somewhat surprising decision to name what was essentially his strongest possible XI, and their superior quality was telling from the start as they quickly raced into a 2-0 lead.
Silva opened the scoring with a gorgeous volley and swiftly doubled City's advantage to cap off a fine move in the 15th minute, before Phil Foden effectively killed off any hopes of a Birmingham comeback before the interval.
City were less deadly in the second period as they failed to add to their lead, but it mattered little as they had no difficulty seeing out a comfortable victory.
Aitor Karanka and Birmingham will have been braced for a difficult day after seeing the line-up chosen by Guardiola, though nothing could have prepared them for the hosts' start.
Silva displayed remarkable technique to make it 1-0 as he unleashed a stunning volley just inside the box to punish a poor clearance, picking out the top-left corner.
He soon got a second with a simple close-range finish, guiding home Kevin De Bruyne's cutback after the Belgian had been well spotted by Riyad Mahrez.
City found their stride again after something of a lull, and Foden increased the lead just past the half-hour mark, rifling into the bottom-right corner from 20 yards after being picked out by Mahrez.
The hosts withdrew De Bruyne, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Dias at half-time, with youngsters Felix Nmecha and Taylor Harwood-Bellis entering alongside John Stones.
City remained dominant and thought they had a fourth goal just past the hour, only for VAR to confirm Mahrez had strayed offside when latching on to Foden's pass.
Silva passed up the chance to complete his hat-trick as he dragged wide when the ball fell kindly for him, and that proved to be his final opportunity as City settled for a three-goal victory.
What does it mean? City emphatic but Guardiola learns little
It is fair to say, Guardiola may have surprised a few by naming such a strong starting XI and it seemingly yielded the desired result as City went into half-time 3-0 to the good.
Nevertheless, Guardiola will have learnt very little about that first-half performance given his line-up was full of first-team regulars and they were facing a side struggling in a Championship relegation battle.
A few of the kids were sent on in the second half and did their chances of further opportunities no harm, though the game had become little more than a training exercise by that point.
Foden runs Birmingham ragged
There were several City stars who produced classy displays, but Foden was arguably the most enjoyable to watch. His goal was a great strike, while he had already threatened beforehand with his other two shots. The England international also made three key passes – one of those was particularly clever, as he chested down a long ball to tee up Silva for an effort that hit the side-netting.
Gabriel Jesus frustrated
City's Brazilian striker was by no means poor here – with three shots and a couple of key passes, he was actually quite bright. But he will likely be frustrated by the fact he could not get his name on the scoreboard, particularly given one of his first-half opportunities was a one-one-one situation that he spurned.
What's next?
It is back to Premier League action on Wednesday for City, who host Brighton and Hove Albion. Birmingham continue their quest to get clear of the Championship's relegation zone three days later when they go to coach Karanka's former team Middlesbrough.
Pep Guardiola does not view himself as a deal maker with regards to any transfer ambitions Manchester City might have towards Lionel Messi.
Messi sought to end a career-long association with Barca in the aftermath of their humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final loss to Bayern Munich, with City then widely viewed as the frontrunners for his signature.
However, Barcelona disputed Messi's assertion that a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for free at the end of the 2019-20 campaign remained valid, and the Argentina superstar stayed at Camp Nou.
Speaking to La Sexta at the end of last month, Messi pledged not to decide his future until the end of this season, while also outlining his "dream" of living in the United States.
This makes a deal involving a reunion with his old mentor Guardiola, plus an option to switch to City's MLS affiliate New York City, look theoretically attractive.
But speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup third-round clash against Birmingham City, the former Barca and Bayern boss refused to fan any flames of a potential transfer inferno.
"He is a player for another club, I'm sorry. Always I try to answer your questions but I'm not… he is a player from Barcelona," Guardiola said.
"About the transfer market, you know my opinion, it's about Txiki [Begiristain, City's director of football]. I don't like to talk about players who are not here or players maybe extending their contract.
"Always I believe the best way to talk about this is behind the scenes because my comments will not solve or break some deal, especially the players who are not here.
"I respect a lot all the players who play in other teams."
Guardiola did express a surprise contract wish when it came to the future of another international in his thirties.
Former England goalkeeper Scott Carson has spent the past season and a half on loan at City from Derby County, serving as an experienced third-choice option.
He is yet to play a minute of senior football for Guardiola - something that will not change this weekend after a positive coronavirus test - but the manager insists Carson's influence upon Ederson, Zack Steffen and the squad as a whole has been invaluable.
"One keeper who is so important for us is Scott Carson," he said of the 35-year-old. "He is like our captain behind the scenes.
"He is not noticed because he is the third keeper, but in the locker room he is another captain.
"It is so important and hopefully he can stay longer with us in the next years."
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes a 24-hour dedication to football that includes early morning gym sessions is behind Ruben Dias' magnificent start to life at the Etihad Stadium.
Dias became City's record signing when he joined for £62million from Benfica in September, arriving in the immediate aftermath of a humbling 5-2 Premier League defeat against Leicester City.
Since then, the Portugal international has done plenty to justify his price tag, establishing a formidable partnership at centre-back alongside a rejuvenated John Stones.
Across 13 Premier League matches with Dias in the side, City have been beaten only once, conceding seven times at an average of 0.5 per game. In the two matches before his signing, City conceded six - largely as a result of the Leicester debacle, in which they gave away three penalties.
Dias leads the way among his team-mates in clearances (55) and headed clearances (27) this season. He is behind only Rodri (31) and Joao Cancelo (25) when it comes to interceptions, having made 20.
Spain holding midfielder Rodri has 50 aerials won to his name, with Dias next up on 37. City's new defensive lynchpin is also yet to make an error leading to a shot in the top flight.
Having burnished his growing reputation with fine displays in the wins at Chelsea and Manchester United over the past week, Dias is expected to sit out Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie against Championship strugglers Birmingham, but Guardiola insists he would have no problem turning out once again.
"Do you know when the player makes a big sign or an influence on the team? When he is able to play every three days. That is the best signing," he said.
"When you buy players, always you think they will help the squad but you never know what is going to happen. He is a guy who can play every three days and recover immediately.
"His ability is incredible. He understands the game, he wants to learn and all of us are impressed by how much he takes care of his body and his mind.
"The day after [the game] at 8:30 or 9:00 he is in the gym, he makes his routine perfectly. He lives 24 hours of his profession at 23 years old.
"I can assure you that we signed an incredible player for the next five, six or seven years and that is not easy to find."
City's improvement at the back has also been a collective endeavour.
Along with Stones putting form and fitness woes behind him, versatile full-back Joao Cancelo has blossomed in his second season under Guardiola, while Oleksandr Zinchenko recently returned to plug a gap at left-back amid a raft of COVID-19 cases among his team-mates.
The manager believes City's collective play was never too far away from the standards set of late, with the drive to cut out individual errors key.
"I have the feeling that always we concede few, few chances in the previous seasons," Guardiola said.
"It was more in actions that we didn't control individually, we made mistakes. For example, the three penalties against Leicester are mistakes we cannot make.
"We improved in those terms. The movements of the collective are the same as the last five years but the mistakes we have done against Leicester, conceding three penalties, we have not done it again."
A handling mistake by Ederson in October's 1-1 draw at Leeds United is the only error City have made leading directly to a goal in the Premier League this season, according to Opta. In 2019-20, they made seven across the course of the campaign and six when amassing 100 points as champions in 2017-18.
"A part of this, of course, is Ruben helps us a lot to lead the line and John doing what he is doing," Guardiola added. "When he has played, Nathan Ake has played good, Ayme [Aymeric Laporte] as well.
"Joao has made a step forward - we knew his quality with the ball, but especially without.
"We have to continue. The margin between being solid and not being solid is so minimal. We have to be careful and continue to be consistent in the next month."
Pep Guardiola does not view himself as a deal maker with regards to any transfer ambitions Manchester City might have towards Lionel Messi.
Messi sought to end a career-long association with Barca in the aftermath of their humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final loss to Bayern Munich, with City then widely viewed as the frontrunners for his signature.
However, Barcelona disputed Messi's assertion that a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for free at the end of the 2019-20 campaign remained valid, and the Argentina superstar stayed at Camp Nou.
Speaking to La Sexta at the end of last month, Messi pledged not to decide his future until the end of this season, while also outlining his "dream" of living in the United States.
This makes a deal involving a reunion with his old mentor Guardiola, plus an option to switch to City's MLS affiliate New York City, look theoretically attractive.
But speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup third-round clash against Birmingham City, the former Barca and Bayern boss refused to fan any flames of a potential transfer inferno.
"He is a player for another club, I'm sorry. Always I try to answer your questions but I'm not… he is a player from Barcelona," Guardiola said.
"About the transfer market, you know my opinion, it's about Txiki [Begiristain, City's director of football]. I don't like to talk about players who are not here or players maybe extending their contract.
"Always I believe the best way to talk about this is behind the scenes because my comments will not solve or break some deal, especially the players who are not here.
"I respect a lot all the players who play in other teams."
Guardiola did express a surprise contract wish when it came to the future of another international in his thirties.
Former England goalkeeper Scott Carson has spent the past season and a half on loan at City from Derby County, serving as an experienced third-choice option.
He is yet to play a minute of senior football for Guardiola - something that will not change this weekend after a positive coronavirus test - but the manager insists Carson's influence upon Ederson, Zack Steffen and the squad as a whole has been invaluable.
"One keeper who is so important for us is Scott Carson," he said of the 35-year-old. "He is like our captain behind the scenes.
"He is not noticed because he is the third keeper, but in the locker room he is another captain.
"It is so important and hopefully he can stay longer with us in the next years."
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly eyeing Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero.
Aguero, 32, is out of contract at the end of the season and his future with the Premier League giants is uncertain.
And PSG are apparently eyeing the forward.
TOP STORY – PSG EYE AGUERO
Mauricio Pochettino and PSG have Aguero in their sights on a free transfer at the end of the season, according to the Mirror.
Injuries have limited Aguero to just nine appearances in all competitions this season.
Aguero is Manchester City's all-time leading scorer with 256 goals.
ROUND-UP
- Linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt, Arsenal may also be looking elsewhere. Bild reports PSG's Julian Draxler, who is out of contract at the season's end, is an alternative for the Premier League club.
- Also at Arsenal, Mesut Ozil seems set to leave the club. The Guardian reports the playmaker is in talks to join Fenerbahce on loan, but Arsenal do not want to pay any part of his salary if he moves to the Turkish giants.
- Lyon striker Moussa Dembele is again being linked with a switch. Goal reports Dembele is not interested in a move to West Ham, and Atletico Madrid are keen to land him. L'Equipe says Atletico want Dembele on loan.
- Kieran Trippier's ban has been put on hold pending an appeal, but his January reportedly could have been very different. TalkSPORT reports Manchester United were considering a bid for the defender, who was keen on a move, before his ban over betting rule breaches.
- Manchester United are apparently not chasing Moises Caicedo. Fabrizio Romano reports United, who were previously linked to Caicedo, will not sign the Independiente del Valle and Ecuador attacker, who is said to be the subject of a bid from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted there was uncertainty about what condition players would be in after contracting coronavirus.
The Premier League giants are set to regain Ederson, Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle ahead of their FA Cup clash against Birmingham City on Sunday.
But Guardiola said it still remained unclear just how players would return after testing positive for COVID-19.
"The doctors don't know how the body will react, maybe one month or one and a half years, no-one knows what is going to happen," he told reporters.
"Imagine after being found positive, whether you know if you are going to play at a high level. That is why the boys are a little but concerned about this and are careful.
"Because some players react well, but Ilkay Gundogan took some time to recover after the summer and struggled a little bit. So that is why it's good news they are back in the training sessions and locker room.
"But when they will be able to play minutes, we have to talk with them and the doctors and the physios and how they react to the training session and the day after. Every player and case is different and you have to be alert."
City are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions and sit fifth in the Premier League table.
They have played two fewer games than Liverpool and one less than Manchester United, who are four points clear of them.
Sergio Aguero's mood is "better than ever" as he tentatively nears the end of an injury nightmare, according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola confirmed City's all-time top scorer will start Sunday's FA Cup third-round tie against Birmingham City at the Etihad Stadium as he looks to put the after-effects of meniscus surgery behind him.
Aguero underwent an operation in June and has been forced to manage ongoing discomfort in the joint since a hamstring injury at West Ham curtailed his initial return in October.
Despite being ravaged by a coronavirus outbreak among their squad, City head into the weekend buoyed by their two finest performances of the season - a swashbuckling 3-1 win over Chelsea preceding a 2-0 win against rivals Manchester United in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.
Four minutes from the bench at Stamford Bridge was the sum of Aguero's action across the those games, as he was an unused substitute at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, his goalscoring prowess has been an obvious miss across the course of the campaign. In their most recent title-winning season, City averaged 2.6 goals per game in the Premier League with Aguero in the side.
That has fallen to 1.6 in all matches this time around, with a win percentage of 53.9 per cent, set against 84.8 with Aguero in harness two seasons ago. Shots per 90 minutes are also down from 18.1 to 15.6 when the two data sets are compared.
"Just look at the numbers, the quality he has in the box, Sergio is unique," Guardiola told a pre-match news conference.
"He has a tough, tough injury. The important thing is his mood is exceptional, I would say better than ever.
"It's important that the feeling, the last two weeks, his knee's reaction was really good after training. This is the best news we can have.
"He’s going to start, the minutes his performance level or knee will dictate. What's important is good quality minutes, as much as possible, we start from the beginning and after we'll see what happens.
"It will be great to have Sergio fit. He’s so optimistic. He says 'I will score goals' and that is the most important thing."
Aguero is out of contract at the end of the season, as is fellow fans' favourite Fernandinho.
The 35-year-old Brazil international has returned to his customary central midfield position this season, having deputised at centre-back for much of last, and completed the scoring with a sweetly struck volley against United in midweek.
Following the departure of David Silva over the close season, Fernandinho has stepped up as club captain and impressed Guardiola greatly with his leadership skills.
"With the players in this part of the season, everything is open," Guardiola said, when discussing the prospect of the veteran earning a fresh deal.
"I am more than impressed with the first captain role of Fernandinho, he is leading in an exceptional way. In the good moments and the bad, bad moments.
"If everyone can take an example of what he has done so far, the team will be stronger."
Pressed for examples of how the quietly spoken star commands the dressing room, Guardiola replied: "How he talks with his mates, how he talks with my assistant coach, before the game, at half-time.
"Not just talking to players about football matters, in life, how to behave in training, every single day. He's the first who proves that he's able to do it.
"That's why he goes to Old Trafford, plays holding midfielder there. It was not easy for Bruno Fernandes to control him.
"At the beginning of the season he stepped forward and showed how to be a captain."
City will have Ederson, Ferran Torres and Tommy Doyle available for selection once more, provided they returned negative COVID-19 tests on Friday.
The trio tested positive ahead of the postponed Premier League match at Everton on December 28.
Liverpool are reportedly interested in Sergio Ramos, while Real Madrid have a successor for Zinedine Zidane lined up.
Premier League champions Liverpool are linked with centre-backs due to long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
And Ramos is apparently a target.
TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL INTERESTED IN RAMOS
Liverpool are interested in Real Madrid defender Ramos, according to El Chiringuito.
The 34-year-old's future at Madrid is uncertain with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Also at Liverpool, Fabrizio Romano reports they are yet to open talks to sign Lille defender Sven Botman.
ROUND-UP
- Zidane was under pressure at Real Madrid earlier in the season, and the LaLiga giants have his replacement in mind. AS reports Raul – who is in charge of Real Madrid Castilla – is seen as the natural heir to the Frenchman.
- Christian Eriksen is expected to leave Inter, but just where to remains to be seen. CalcioMercato reports the Serie A giants are yet to receive an offer for the midfielder, who has been linked to Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
- With Diego Costa having departed, Atletico Madrid are said to be looking for another forward. The Daily Mail reports Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik is at the top of their list, while Espanyol's Raul de Tomas and Real Betis' Loren Moron are of interest.
- Manchester City are linked to Barcelona star Lionel Messi, but they may have a younger version to target. talkSPORT reports the Premier League club are plotting a move for 17-year-old Estudiantes winger Dario Sarmiento, who has been dubbed "mini Messi".
- Sergio Romero looks set to leave Manchester United. The Manchester Evening News reports the goalkeeper has bid farewell to his team-mates ahead of an expected move to Boca Juniors.
Manchester City reportedly believe they lead the race for Lionel Messi if the star leaves Barcelona.
Messi, 33, is out of contract at Barca at the end of the season and is linked with a move from the LaLiga giants.
The forward stayed at Camp Nou after sensationally requesting a transfer ahead of 2020-21, but it may have just delayed his exit.
TOP STORY – MAN CITY LEAD MESSI RACE IF STAR LEAVES
Manchester City believe they lead the race for Messi if he leaves Barcelona, according to The Telegraph.
City, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter have been most strongly linked with a move for Messi, who is expected to make a decision on his future at the end of the campaign.
Messi has scored 12 goals in 20 games in all competitions this season.
ROUND-UP
- With Gareth Bale injured, his chances of a longer stay at Tottenham appear slim. AS reports Real Madrid are expecting the attacker to return to the club at the end of his loan spell at the conclusion of the campaign, and that would hurt their chances of signing Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe with Bale contracted until 2022.
- Georginio Wijnaldum's future is no closer to being sorted. Sky Sports reports the midfielder and Liverpool have reached a stalemate over a new contract. Wijnaldum's deal expires at the end of the season and the Netherlands international has been linked with a move to Barcelona.
- Starring at Tottenham this season, Son Heung-min could be set for a new deal. The Telegraph reports Spurs are confident the forward, who is contracted until 2023, will re-sign.
- Mesut Ozil could finally be set to leave Arsenal. DHA reports the playmaker has agreed to a three-and-a-half-year deal with Turkish giants Fenerbahce.
- With Moise Kean impressing on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, Everton are expecting an offer for the forward, according to the Liverpool Echo. Kean has 10 goals in 17 matches for PSG this season.
- Diego Alonso is under pressure at the helm of Inter Miami, and Sky Sports reports the MLS side have approached Phil Neville, who is the coach of England's women's team, to take over.
Pep Guardiola said John Stones had proven he belongs at Manchester City after a derby win over United in the EFL Cup semi-finals.
Stones scored his first City goal since November 2017 and Fernandinho sealed a 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Wednesday as the three-time defending champions booked a spot in the final against Tottenham.
The City defender, who was relieved to see the flag raised after the ball bounced off him and into his own net during the semi-final, has been in good form this season, and his six possessions gained against United were the equal best for his side.
City manager Guardiola was full of praise for Stones, who had appeared on the outer at the club before beginning to impress.
"He came back and he made another outstanding performance – but the most important thing is he can do something he hasn't been able to do – play four, five, six games in a row. This is important," he told a news conference.
"He had to handle [Marcus] Rashford, who is dangerous and clever, and the quality of his passes to Joao [Cancelo] were outstanding. All the team, Fernandinho, our captain, what a performance again. He read the game incredibly well, he moved the team. Outstanding.
"All the players – [Ilkay] Gundogan, Raheem [Sterling], Phil [Foden] ... all the team."
Guardiola added: "All credit [to Stones]. Football is a long career – it is up and down, sometimes bad moments. He was out longer than we expected but he came back and he absolutely belongs here.
"We can help him but when someone plays like this, it's credit to him. Hopefully he can continue in this way."
Pep Guardiola dedicated Manchester City's 2-0 EFL Cup semi-final win over Manchester United to club great Colin Bell.
Former City and England midfielder Bell died on Tuesday after a short illness, aged 74.
City's players wore retro shirts bearing Bell's number eight before kick-off at Old Trafford, where a minute's silence was observed.
When the action got underway, an absorbing contest at odds with a dour 0-0 draw between the sides in the Premier League last month ensued, with City prevailing thanks to second-half goals from John Stones and Fernandinho.
"It's for him and, of course, for his family," Guardiola told Sky Sports in a post-match interview which he conducted wearing a t-shirt featuring Bell's likeness.
"This person helped to build something special for this club that doesn't have many, many trophies in the cabinet. But that is not important.
"What is important is the legacy that players provide from the past and some of these players in the future. That is the club we have now.
"It is an incredible victory for us to beat United away and be in another final.
"But especially today, it is for him. Absolutely."
City might be considered to have "many, many" EFL Cups if they are able to claim a fourth in a row against Tottenham in April's final.
Guardiola praised his players for a notable upturn in form of late after they followed up Sunday's swashbuckling 3-1 win over Chelsea in impressive fashion, despite Scott Carson and Cole Palmer taking the number of positive COVID-19 tests among his squad to eight since Christmas Day.
"You are frustrated when you play bad. When the team don't run, don't help, don't celebrate every defensive action," he said, rejecting the suggestion he was unhappy after a goalless first half.
"The team is ready. That is why we came here with an outstanding performance.
"We suffered a little bit in the second half because we were tired after the game at Stamford Bridge. They had two more days off to rest but when a team has the mentality to do it we achieve something incredible.
"I know the Carabao Cup is not the Champions League but four times in a row reaching the final is incredible. I am so impressed by the quality of this team."
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