Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson was surprised at himself after getting involved in a touchline spat with Sheffield United’s Max Lowe as his side enjoyed a winning start to the Premier League season.

Hodgson clashed with the Blades defender, who appeared to shove the 76-year-old in the midriff, midway through the second half after he stopped the ball in the dugout.

His side were winning 1-0 at the time through Odsonne Eduoard’s 50th-minute goal and that is how it ended at Bramall Lane as Palace started the campaign strongly.

“It took me a bit by surprise, I suppose I don’t take many challenges these days at my age, so it took me by surprise,” Hodgson said of the incident.

“It was nothing at all and immediately afterwards Max Lowe looked over and we smiled at each other.

“He obviously realised he hadn’t done a lot to hurt me and I was probably a bit surprised I have got the energy to react in the way I did.”

Hodgson also distanced himself from wantaway goalkeeper Vicente Guaita’s pre-match tweet, which appeared to question his exclusion from the matchday squad.

The Palace boss said earlier this week that the Spaniard had refused to play in pre-season, but he tweeted: “Where is my name? So how can I play for Palace?”

Hodgson said: “I didn’t know that happened, I don’t really think about it at all.

“I’m more than happy we got through today’s game, our goalkeeper was largely untroubled throughout the game, everything he had to do he did well.. What you’re talking about will be something that he and the club will need to sort out, for me it doesn’t affect me whatsoever.”

Defeat for the Blades worsens the gloom around the club following last season’s promotion.

They have sold star men Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge and have yet to replace them, with boss Paul Heckingbottom admitting that the loss exposed how far away they are from competing at this level.

But he expects that to improve between now and the end of the transfer window.

“It’s obvious. That’s not the story,” he said when asked whether this loss highlighted the gap. “The story is that’s where we are at the minute, but we’re only going to improve. We’ve sold players so we have got the money to spend to bring players in.

“I can’t be critical, I think we needed the first goal if I am honest. We compromised the way we wanted to play with the difference in the team.

“But I felt by being disruptive and aggressive, we had an impact on the game, especially in the second half.

“To concede the first goal so early in the second half made it difficult. These are a well established team, they have experience, they have some real quality. I have not come away from there scared and the players shouldn’t either.”

Odsonne Edouard’s second-half goal earned Crystal Palace a 1-0 win against Sheffield United to worsen the gloom at Bramall Lane.

Edouard struck from close range four minutes after the restart to give the Eagles a deserved three points in the Premier League opener.

It was thoroughly convincing for Roy Hodgson’s men as they had two further goals disallowed, while Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham made a number of saves to keep his side in it.

Indeed, Hodgson’s biggest problem was a tweet from wantaway goalkeeper Vicente Guaita before the game, seemingly questioning why he was not in the team.

United’s return to the top flight after two seasons away ended with a whimpering defeat to compound a negative few weeks which saw the sale of Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge.

Boss Paul Heckingbottom admitted before the match that United are “nowhere near” where they need to be and that showed as they lacked any real goal threat throughout the match.

The signing of Gustavo Hamer from Coventry overnight had boosted spirits and he was paraded on the pitch before kick-off.

The atmosphere helped the Blades make a strong start, with Will Osula going close inside the opening 10 minutes with an effort that was deflected just wide.

But Palace began to take control of the game, with Eberechi Eze running things with his impressive ball-carrying skills.

And he twice saw goalbound efforts blocked, first from Jack Robinson and then from John Egan.

The visitors thought they had taken the lead midway through the first half when Jordan Ayew headed home after Joachim Andersen’s shot had been fumbled by Foderingham, but it was ruled out for offside.

It was little surprise when they did go in front just after the restart.

Ayew found a good position on the right hand side and sent in a wicked low cross which was begging to be converted and Edouard duly obliged, stabbing in from close range.

It could have been two 10 minutes later as Edouard found space at the far post from Eze’s free-kick but his header was straight at Foderingham.

The former Celtic striker also had a goal ruled out for offside, while Ayew tested Foderingham’s handling with a fierce shot that was palmed away.

Palace kept knocking on the door for a second and Foderingham got down brilliantly to keep out Andersen’s header.

The Blades had nothing in the way of a response, other than plenty of effort, as Palace saw it out with ease.

Sheffield United have made Tunisia international Anis Slimane their first summer signing.

The Blades have signed Slimane from Danish club Brondby on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, understood to be around £1.2million.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who played for Tunisia in last year’s World Cup, told the club’s official website: “I like the culture of the club. I heard it is a hard-working club and that reminds me of myself.

“I love to work hard, and I love to give everything – leave everything out on the pitch. At this club, nothing is given, everything is worked for.

“I had a really good talk with the club and the manager and I felt that they had the right plan for me. The manager was really honest and I am excited to be here and looking forward to the Premier League.

“It is a big opportunity and a big challenge, I am not coming here for a vacation. I have been through a lot in my career so far, even though I’m only 22, but I still have a lot to learn, and I am looking forward to learning every day.”

Boss Paul Heckingbottom, whose club have also been linked with Ivorian winger Benie Traore, is delighted to sign a player with experience at such a young age.

“He’s 22 but someone with a lot of experience. He’s played a lot of first-team games, been to a World Cup and someone who has continually gone up the ladder in terms of his levels,” Heckingbottom said.

“He’s a technical player who can handle the ball really well and someone who works really hard. I think the fact that he’s played in a number of positions at international level and has been trusted in those positions shows he gets the game tactically.

“Anis is someone we’ve known about since we first took the job here, really in that first window. We never really had the opportunity to do something until now and it has just coincided with his contract situation so the timing is really good for both of us.”

The Blades are preparing for life back in the Premier League after two seasons away and are currently in a fight to keep star striker Iliman Ndiaye.

The Senegal international is reportedly attracting interest from Marseille, but the PA news agency first revealed that he has been offered a bumper new deal by the South Yorkshire club.

Sheffield United have offered star striker Iliman Ndiaye a new contract amid reported interest from Marseille.

The 23-year-old is entering the final 12 months of his current deal but has now been offered fresh terms, which are greatly improved, the PA news agency understands.

Ndiaye was a key player in the Blades’ promotion to the Premier League last season and speculation has linked him to Marseille, but it is understood there has been no official approach from the Ligue 1 club.

Ndiaye’s career has enjoyed a meteoric rise, with the Blades signing him from Boreham Wood in 2019.

He is now a Senegal international and was the subject of a £25million bid from Everton in the January transfer window, which his club rejected immediately.

The Blades’ offer to him signals their intent to keep him at Bramall Lane as they prepare for their return to the top tier after two seasons away.

Anis Ben Slimane is set to become their first signing of the summer as the Tunisia international is due to undergo the second part of his medical on Wednesday after a fee was agreed with Danish side Brondby.

Republic of Ireland defender Enda Stevens has completed a move to Stoke on a 12-month contract after his Sheffield United deal expired.

The 32-year-old, who twice helped the Blades win promotion to the Premier League during a six-year spell at Bramall Lane, has linked up with the Potters ahead of Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Notts County and will travel to Spain for the club’s Costa Blanca training camp.

Stevens told the Sky Bet Championship club’s website: “I am delighted to be here and really excited to work with the gaffer and the boys this week before heading out to Spain for the training camp.

“It feels like the club is at the start of an ambitious project and I see another chance to be successful.

“Stoke City is a club of strong stature and, if we can play in a similar way to the Alex Neil teams I’ve come up against in the past, I have a belief that we can be really competitive in the Championship this season.”

Stevens has more than 450 appearances under his belt and was ever-present as Sheffield United finished ninth in the Premier League in 2019-20.

England Under-21s’ Tommy Doyle admits Manchester City’s treble winners have given him inspiration for Euro glory.

The midfielder watched as his parent club won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League while on loan at Sheffield United.

Doyle also won promotion with the Blades after finishing second in the Championship.

He is in Georgia ahead of England’s Group C opener with the Czech Republic in Batumi on Thursday and feels Pep Guardiola’s superstars have provided added motivation for him.

“It’s massive to see and gives you inspiration as well to go on to win and get yourself in that team as well to enjoy success,” said the 21-year-old.

“It was special. Of course you want to be there as well and be involved but you have to respect where you’re at at this moment.

“I was 110 per cent focused on Sheffield United and what I needed to do there but, as well as a player of City, I’m a fan as well so I was always watching. I had my fan hat on more because I was at a different club.

“It’s massive for the club. They deserved it, they were brilliant and when it got to the business end they stepped up another level.”

The Young Lions go into the tournament as one of the favourites in Georgia.

Cole Palmer won the treble with Manchester City this season, Ben Johnson helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League, Max Aarons has won the Championship twice and Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes and Emile Smith Rowe lifted the Under-17s World Cup in 2017.

Gareth Southgate believes the senior side have serial winners and Doyle feels the Young Lions, who also face Israel and Germany in the group stage, are the same.

He said: “Yeah, of course. It’s on a little bit of a different scale. A lot of the lads in the seniors, the ones I know from City, have just come off the back of winning a treble and that is obviously massive for anyone as a player.

“But lads here have won a lot, whether that be at academy level or stepping up and winning promotions or whatever that is.

“We have lads who love to win, want to win and who have won before. That obviously does help.”

Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp will not get the chance to represent his boyhood club in the Premier League again next season after being released.

The 37-year-old, who came through the youth ranks at Bramall Lane, will end his third spell at the club at the conclusion of his current contract, departing having made 377 appearances and scored 129 goals.

He did play 45 times for the Blades last season as they won promotion from the Championship and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, but boss Paul Heckingbottom does not think he is worth a new deal in the top flight.

Jack O’Connell and Enda Stevens are also released and will depart the club having played their parts in promotions over the years.

The Blades have exercised the options on contracts for Oliver Norwood, Oliver McBurnie, Wes Foderingham and Ismaila Coulibaly to keep them at the club while negotiations over new deals for John Fleck, Jack Robinson and Ben Osborn are ongoing.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has urged his side to “embrace the moment” as the build-up to their Sky Bet League One play-off final continues.

The Owls reached Monday’s final in dramatic circumstances following a remarkable comeback against Peterborough in the semi-final, which saw them overturn a four-goal deficit in the first leg to then win 5-3 on penalties.

Their victory sets up a clash against Barnsley at Wembley with promotion to the Championship the prize and Moore is looking forward to the occasion between the South Yorkshire rivals.

He told a pre-match press conference: “Having two clubs so close together, it’s a Wembley final, two teams from Yorkshire competing for that final spot to get up into the Championship, it bodes well for a wonderful game.

“We’re just focusing on the game, focusing on the here and now and we’re looking forward to it.

“Like I said to the players, we’re to embrace this moment, embrace this time, because you’re embracing the moment in time not on your own.

“We have a multitude – an army – of fans with us as well as the staff, the players…it’s a oneness that we’ve always maintained throughout the season and that’s what we’ll see on Monday.”

Moore also recognised how special it is to play at Wembley, but stressed that he is preparing for it like “a normal game”.

“These times now are to be enjoyed, embraced, remember these times because they are special times,” he added.

“I said the beautiful thing about this for the players is you don’t stand there alone, I don’t have this as a lone figure as a manager because I feel I have a multitude that is with me.

“Players, staff, we’re all in it together, so we’re all approaching this together.

“My message has always been clear…to embrace this moment, enjoy the moment and within the club internally we’ve been planning and preparing as we would for a normal game.

“The game will quickly be upon us on Monday where we’ll get to compete and contest.”

The Tykes earned a league double over the Owls in the regular season for the first time since 2009, winning 2-0 at Hillsborough in September before securing a 4-2 win in the reverse fixture in March.

Despite Barnsley’s winning record against them this season, Moore is only focused on what is at stake on Monday.

“For me now what’s gone on has gone on before, we forget those things now and we focus on the here and now, the present.

“That’s what it is because the reason why the game’s being played at Wembley, it’s a final, the arena’s different, the atmosphere’s different, the mental side is different so it’s the here and now moment to deal with the games.”

Barnsley head coach Michael Duff has expressed admiration for Sheffield Wednesday counterpart Darren Moore before Monday’s Sky Bet League One play-off final.

The pair go head-to-head at Wembley on Monday when the two South Yorkshire rivals clash in the third tier’s winner-takes-all season finale.

Barnsley edged past Bolton 1-0 on aggregate in their semi-final, while Wednesday overcame the biggest first-leg deficit in play-off history before beating Peterborough on penalties.

Moore silenced the Owls fans who had called for him to be sacked after his side’s 4-0 first-leg defeat appeared to have left them dead and buried and Duff paid tribute to his rival manager.

Duff said: “Darren deserves loads of credit because one thing he’s done the whole season, when weirdly there’s been a bit of noise about him when they got 96 points this season, is keep his counsel because he’s a good fella.

“First and foremost, he’s a good fella. He’s obviously a football man, he’s been around it a long, long time.

“I don’t know what he’s like as a manager in terms of day-to-day stuff, but you take people as you find them and we’ve beaten them twice and he’s been humble, he’s taken it.

“He says ‘fair play to you’ and shakes your hand. No excuses afterwards that some managers come out with. He said ‘better team won’ and I think that goes a long way just as a human being.”

Barnsley completed the league double over the Owls this season for the first time since 2009, winning 2-0 at Hillsborough in September and 4-2 at Oakwell in March.

But they finished 10 points adrift of their local rivals in the table, with the Owls’ 96-point tally more than any other side not to finish in the top two of any league in English football’s history.

That did not stop the vitriol that came Moore’s way after his side’s 4-0 semi-final first-leg defeat at Peterborough.

Some fans called for his head before the return leg, while Wednesday were forced to issue a statement condemning a racist message directed at Moore on social media.

“It shows you the emotional state people can get into,” Duff said. “Darren’s a good manager, full stop.

“Was he a terrible manager when they got beaten 4-0? No. And he’s become an even better manager now because of the belief he gave them.

“Things he said in interviews and in the dressing room, things he showed the players. Good management. He managed to get the best out of it.”

Barnsley finished fourth in the table, one place below Wednesday, and their 86-point haul would have been enough for automatic promotion in three of the last 10 seasons.

Barnsley head coach Michael Duff has challenged one of his players “to step up and be the hero” in their Sky Bet League play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday.

Wednesday will start as the bookmakers’ favourites for Monday’s Wembley showdown against their local rivals after overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit in their thrilling semi-final win against Peterborough.

Barnsley finished fourth in the table, 10 points behind Wednesday, but backed up their 2-0 league win at Hillsborough in September with a 4-2 victory over the Owls at Oakwell in March.

Duff, who took over last summer following the club’s relegation from the Championship, said: “I bet if you look at the odds we’ll be the underdogs. It’s not me trying to create a narrative of my own, they are the facts.

“They finished on 96 points, God knows how many goals they scored, loads of clean sheets, 23-game unbeaten run and they were 4-0 down after the (semi-final) first leg.

“But they’re in a one-off game with us now and the positive is that we know we can hurt them.

“We think we know what we’re going to get and hopefully someone can step up and be the hero.”

Barnsley’s first league double over their South Yorkshire rivals in March also halted the Owls’ club record 23-game unbeaten run.

But Duff, who will choose his starting line-up from a fully-fit squad, said that would have little bearing on Monday’s winner-takes-all encounter.

“Other than the fact that we know we can beat them,” Duff said. “You can dress it up which ever way you want. They’re older, much more experienced.

“Their players will have thousands more league appearances than we have and that might help them. It might not.

“Our youth and naivety might help us. We won’t know until the game pans out, but we know we can hurt them.

“We also know they’re a huge club with big players, and big players, a lot of the time, step up in big moments.

“So we’ll enjoy the day as much as we can, but we’re not going to Wembley for a day out, we’re going there to win.”

Duff acknowledged significant local bragging rights were at stake for both clubs’ fans, but does not feel that will be such a big factor for the players.

“There’s no point hiding away from it,” the former Cheltenham boss added. “But we’re not going to drum it up into something it isn’t.

“It’s a game of football. It’s 22 lads running around, there will be three blokes in black annoying everybody, probably, the pitch will be green and there will be white lines.

“Obviously the local derby element adds just a little bit of spice to what already will be a brilliant game.”

Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore hailed the “best moment” of his managerial career as his side overturned a four-goal deficit to win 5-1 after extra time at Hillsborough and earn a 5-3 win on penalties against Peterborough.

The hosts made a lightning start and got two goals in the first 25 minutes courtesy of Michael Smith penalty and Lee Gregory.

Reece James made it three and pulled the hosts to within one of Peterborough’s aggregate lead with 20 minutes to go, and they sent the game to extra time with the last kick of normal time when Liam Palmer nudged home from close range.

A Gregory own goal gave Peterborough the initiative once again in the tie but Wednesday remarkably equalised once again through Callum Paterson, taking the game to penalties – The Owls’ date at Wembley was booked when Jack Hunt converted with the last spot kick after Dan Butler hit the crossbar with the only miss of the shootout.

Moore insists the comeback victory will go down as the best in his managerial career but wants to go one step further by achieving promotion.

He said: “For me, it’s my best moment in terms of management.

“To witness it and for it to come here, I couldn’t have wished for it to be at a better a place, under the lights here at Hillsborough.

“Tonight will be special, but as I keep saying to them, we have got another game to go. We enjoy tonight and then focus on the Wembley game now.

“We had a rallying call to get the fans to come out and be in full voice and they were tonight. When the boys were cramping up tonight, the fans kept them going. The boys showed great character.”

Moore explained how his team went to the “hurt locker” to get the result as several players received treatment for muscle injuries and thought his side took the penalties well, when the pressure was on.

He said: “They’ve gone to hurt locker tonight, the boys.

“They had to go to the hurt locker to get this one done tonight, it wasn’t going to take anything less than that to get the job done.

“We worked on them (penalties) in training. We were ready for it and I was super confident with every single one of them.

“Credit to the boys in terms of how they went about it, Peterborough have pushed us all the way and for us to win the game it had to come down to a moment like that.”

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson defended that his team selection went unchanged after their 4-0 win in the first leg at the Weston Homes Stadium.

He said: “I cannot be criticised for picking the same team that have won two games like that.

“In terms of team selection, we wanted the quality on the ball. But when you make decisions like we did and give them momentum, it can be hard to get it back and I’ve seen far better teams than us lose it psychologically.

“I thought we’d just done enough but unfortunately the added time and last kick of the ball has put it into extra-time.”

Ferguson dismissed questions on whether he will be in the Peterborough dugout next season after he returned to the club in January.

He continued: “Tonight is not the night for that question.

“How can I answer that? There has been no talks, no offer to stay. I was brought in to do a job and the chat will take place after this season has finished.”

Nottingham Forest have been fined over the pitch invasion at the end of their Championship play-off semi-final against Sheffield United almost a year ago.

A Forest fan was jailed after headbutting Blades striker Billy Sharp during the incident at the end of the second leg at the City Ground on May 17 last year, while Sheffield United’s Oli McBurnie was cleared last December of stamping on another pitch-invading Forest fan.

The Football Association had charged Forest with failing to ensure their supporters conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening or violent behaviour while encroaching onto the pitch following the final whistle.

The charge was partially admitted by Forest, and a £50,000 fine was imposed by an independent regulatory commission. The FA said half of the fine had been suspended by the panel until the end of next season, provided there were no further breaches of FA rule E20.

Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom said “he couldn’t be any prouder” of his players after they secured their 28th win of the season by beating Birmingham 2-1.

Oli McBurnie fired the Premier League-bound Blades ahead in the 53rd minute when he headed home his 13th goal of the season before James McAtee tapped the ball into an empty net a few minutes later to double the lead.

Dion Sanderson pulled one back for Blues late on but in the end it was a deserved victory for Heckingbottom’s men who will follow champions Burnley back up to the big time.

Heckingbottom said: “I’m delighted the game was good and I’m pleased we won. It’s important to talk about how well everyone’s done all season, 28 wins, 91 points.

“I spoke to them (the players) before the game and usually we’ll talk about the opposition, but I just wanted to thank them for this season, thank them for the last 18 months.

“For the majority of us our journey started last November, and it’s taken us this long to achieve what we wanted.

“There’s been some moments from a footballing point of view when I’m on the sidelines I couldn’t be prouder, they’ll know what I mean. We’ve played well but also with a presence that has sacred teams to death and that’s been really pleasing.”

Blues boss John Eustace said: “I think it’s been an excellent season. It’s been very good. We were made favourites for relegation at the start of the season so to get 53 points, the highest number of points in six years, is good.

“There’s lots to build on of course there is but there’s been some fantastic memories throughout the season.

“I also said throughout the season there were going to be some really difficult moments which there were, but the way we stuck together and got through it was exceptional.

“To get the most minutes for Under-18 players in Europe is an exceptional achievement in the toughest league in Europe.

“To get the most minutes for Under-20s in the Championship is an exceptional achievement. To do that and stay in the league and be competitive in every game we play, I think we’ve done well.”

Before the game, Birmingham released a statement confirming details of a takeover which will see Tom Wagner’s group assume ownership.

The statement read: “After the transfer of shares Shelby Companies Limited will own 45.64% of Birmingham City PLC and all of the St. Andrews Stadium.

“Shelby Companies Limited is a subsidiary of Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company, and managed by American financier, Tom Wagner. Both SPA’s are subject to approval from both the English Football League (EFL) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

“Birmingham City will remain under the control of the current Board until the relevant Owners and Directors Tests (OADT) have been approved by the EFL and after the completion of the contracts.”

Danny Ward scored the only goal as Huddersfield made certain of their place in the Sky Bet Championship next season with a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United.

The Terriers needed a point to ensure survival and Ward’s second-half effort proved enough as Neil Warnock’s side avoided a final-day relegation battler against Reading, who tumble into League One as a result of Huddersfield’s triumph.

The result caps a remarkable turnaround since Warnock’s appointment at the John Smith’s Stadium in mid-February, with Town losing just one of their last nine league matches including five wins in the last eight.

Victory over Yorkshire rivals United lifted Huddersfield five points above the bottom three, with the final round of fixtures to be played on Monday.

The Blades, who had already secured their return to the Premier League next season, dominated the early stages and penned the hosts in.

Huddersfield shot-stopper Lee Nicholls stood tall to make a great early save and keep out Daniel Jebbison after he raced through on goal in the eighth minute.

Blades striker Jebbison squandered another decent chance to fire the visitors ahead on the half-hour mark as he headed George Baldock’s cross over at the far post.

Warnock’s charges continued to absorb the pressure as United hammered on the door, and at stages in the opening 45 minutes, only keeper Wes Foderingham was in the visitors’ half.

Sander Berge was the next Blades player to have a crack at goal, but his tame effort barely troubled Nicholls.

The hosts were the first to show after the break with their first big chance of the match.

Tom Lees rose highest at the back post to meet Jack Rudoni’s teasing corner but his close-range header was blocked.

United manager Paul Heckingbottom quickly rang the changes as he threw on Oli McBurnie and Billy Sharp up front.

Foderingham pulled off a good stop to parry Josh Koroma’s effort wide after he nutmegged Chris Basham to force his way into the box.

And the pressure told two minutes before the hour as Ward’s crucial stunning strike, a curling left-footed effort from 25 yards which nestled in the bottom corner, fired Town in front.

The goal would have come as a huge blow to any watching Reading fans and Huddersfield came close to extending their lead when David Kasumu hit the side netting after being slipped through by Koroma.

United pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages but Warnock’s charges held firm sparking widespread celebrations in the stands.

Riyad Mahrez's Wembley treble was the highlight of Manchester City's 3-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Sheffield United, but he was more focused on avenging a different sort of hat-trick.

City had suffered defeat in the semi-finals of the competition for the past three years, part of a sequence that had seen them lose four out of five at Wembley – as many as they had in their first 18 at the ground since it reopened in 2007.

A cagey first half saw City head into the break just one goal ahead, with Mahrez on target, and he stole the spotlight in the second half to send the Championship promotion hopefuls packing.

His goals ensured he became the first player in history to score an FA Cup semi-final treble at Wembley and the first overall since Alex Dawson for Manchester United against Fulham in 1958.

However, the most important aspect for Mahrez was ensuring a previous City treble did not become an unprecedented quadruple.

"It's very good [to score a hat-trick] but the most important thing, after two or three years in a row where we always came here in the semi-final, we always lost and we didn't really play good. Today, we wanted to make sure we put in a good performance and got to the final," he told ITV Sport.

"It means a lot. Every season we start, with the team we have got and the coach we have got, we really want to go as far as we can in every competition.

"Getting into the final of the FA Cup is amazing in this country. Now we need to concentrate on the league and the next game against Arsenal."

City now turn their attention to the midweek tie against Arsenal in the Premier League, where victory would move them just two points behind the leaders with two games in hand.