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Manchester City eased their way through to the quarter-final of the FA Cup, with a lone goal by Sergio Aguero proving to the difference between them and Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
The defending champions are currently ranked 29 places above their hosts in the English domestic league system, and the difference in quality was evident from the first blast of the whistle, with the City seizing the initiative - although they were let down by quality in the final third.
They failed to hit the target with any of their eight shots in the first half, although Nicolas Otamendi headed against the post. The second half was markedly different, and they went ahead inside eight minutes of the restart with a smart finish by Sergio Aguero.
The win sees Manchester City head into the last eight where they'll face Newcastle at St James' Park, with the draw made after the match.
As you'd expect, some players covered themselves in glory with their performance, while others left a lot to be desired and here, we reveal the hits and flops from Manchester City's victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
Hit #3 Dominic Iorfa
It is no mean feat coming up against a Manchester City attack replete with numerous world-beaters, much less when you have a Championship-level defence that has conceded 44 goals from just 36 league matches.
The odds were stacked against Dominic Iorfa and co. but the 24-year-old discharged his duties effectively, and was the primary reason why his side were not on the receiving end of a more emphatic trashing.
He started as the anchor of a back five and, in this position, he impressed; keeping most of the City attackers at bay and limiting them to speculative shots from distance.
Iorfa made a game-high total of four tackles and 11 clearances, while he also weighed in two crucial interceptions.
#2 Flop #2 Joe Wildsmith
It is not every day you see a goalkeeper who made eight saves in a match being referred to as a flop and, in almost any other situation, Joe Wildsmith would have been a contender for Man of the Match even in defeat.
However, all of his fine saves and brilliance were undone in the 53rd minute, when he could only flap a weak hand at an Aguero shot that he should realistically have kept out. This goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and, having defended resolutely for most of the match, Wednesday were let down by a momentary lapse in concentration by their goalie.
Hit #2 Benjamin Mendy
Benjamnin Mendy had one of his finest performances this season against Sheffield Wednesday and, while they might not be the most illustrious of opponents, the French international didn't seem to care.
He proved to be a constant terror for Jacob Murphy on the left flank, and he fashioned several chances for his teammates with his delivery, while also hitting the post before providing the assist for Aguero to open the scoring.
Mendy also contributed defensively, with his two interceptions and three clearances - both more than any of his teammates managed.
Flop #2 Bernardo Silva
Last season, Bernardo Silva was arguably Manchester City's best player as they won a treble of domestic trophies. However the Portuguese international has not quite hit the same heights this term.
A major reason for this has been the fitness of Kevin de Bruyne which has limited Bernado Silva's playing time. He was, however, handed a chance to impress his manager against Wednesday.
The former Monaco man failed to take that opportunity, though, and he was one of the poorer City players on show, with his one key pass not comparing favourably with others like Gabriel Jesus (five) and David Silva (four). He also had just one shot in 90 minutes and did not complete a single dribble.
Hit #1 Sergio Aguero
When Manchester City wasted chance after chance, it looked to be one of those nights for the Mancunians, until their talisman stepped up to make the difference - as he always does.
The Argentine international had been guilty of missing a good chance in the first half, but he made amends in the second, turning smartly before unleashing a left-footed shot at goal to break the deadlock.
This was his 23rd goal in all competitions this season - no Premier League player has managed more - it was also his 20th goal from just 22 FA Cup matches (nobody has scored as many since he arrived in England in 2011). This latest strike also took him to one goal more than Wayne Rooney's record total of 253 for Manchester United which will be a great source of pride for the blue half of the city.
