Pep Guardiola tried to dismiss any talk of a Manchester City treble this week, yet the sight of his makeshift side easing into the FA Cup final might mean he doesn't get a choice in the matter.
As key players were rested, it was Riyad Mahrez who lit up Wembley with a fine hat-trick to fire City into another final and keep those treble chances alive. With Bayern Munich dispatched and a stuttering Arsenal up next, City put tiredness to one side and extended their unbeaten run to 16 against a stubborn Sheffield United side.
Guardiola had set a number of challenges for his players after a less-than-ideal record in FA Cup semi-finals, and in the middle of a defining run of fixtures. He will be pleased with the response, as his tired squad passed their latest test on the way to a potentially historic end of the season.
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Immediately after City's semi-final place was secured, Guardiola warned that their poor semi-final record would need improving. He has only reached one FA Cup final at City and has been defeated at this stage against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal following intense Champions League quarter-finals directly before playing at Wembley.
After beating Bayern Munich over two legs, Guardiola finds himself in a similar situation, warning of tiredness in the squad on Friday and admitting the squad would only train for 20 minutes before travelling to Wembley. His team selection also pointed to tired legs, with six changes and rests for the likes of Ruben Dias, John Stones, Rodri, and Kevin De Bruyne - while Phil Foden wasn't risked from the start.
In their place, Aymeric Laporte got only his sixth start in the last 21 outings, while it was the first start in the same number of games for Sergio Gomez. The last time the Spaniard started, his half-time substitution at Southampton in the Carabao Cup was ironically cheered by City fans, yet here he was starting an FA Cup semi-final in the biggest game of his Blues career by some distance.
The manager referred to a 'nervous' feeling among players at this stage of the season when explaining his team selection, despite Arsenal giving their Premier League chances a boost on Friday, and this semi-final where they were clear favourites. He refused to speak of a potential treble in the build-up, saying it would only be a relevant point of discussion if the league and cup were won. City are close to a historic end to the season, but Guardiola is keenly aware of just how far away the three trophies are.
Those nerves won't have been settled when Stefan Ortega was needed to stop an unmarked Iliman Ndiaye from six yards just 90 seconds in as a raucous Sheffield United end looked to enjoy their day out as much as possible.
City are on a roll, however, and however tired they may be they can rely on their inbuilt system that is used regardless of the 11 players on the field. As the Blues knocked the ball around, their confidence grew, and chances would fall to Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez, while Erling Haaland smashed in a brilliant finish after the whistle had gone for a clear foul against him. Just like in the last round against Championship leaders Burnley, City knew the route to victory would be to soak up the early pressure and slowly assert their quality.
This wouldn't be a vintage performance though like the 6-0 demolition of Burnley, and reflected the congested nature of this stage of the season. Maybe there was an eye on Wednesday's showdown with Arsenal, and still some after-effects from the midweek trip to Germany.
It was a relief, then, that Mahrez would dispatch a penalty before half-time to give City the rewards for their efforts. Bernardo air-kicked an effort, but was hacked down unceremoniously by Dan Jebbison to win the spot kick, and it was Mahrez rather than Erling Haaland who stepped up after the number nine skied his penalty in Munich on Wednesday. Despite the Blades' best efforts to stand on the spot before Mahrez could take the kick, the Algerian made no mistake.
It was an indication of Guardiola's plans for the second half that he sent the teenagers on his bench to warm up, plus Phil Foden, Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Dias. His more important players - namely De Bruyne, Stones and Rodri - remained firmly on the bench. If they could be saved for Arsenal, they would be.
That sort of thinking would also suggest that Haaland wouldn't last the 90 minutes; a theory strengthened by the fact he was having a very quiet game as the opposition camped in their own area. He nearly connected with a deflected Gomez shot to remind Sheffield United that he only needs one chance to make an impact - but his 49th goal of the season would have to wait as he made way for the returning Phil Foden on 65 minutes.
Still, Haaland can be effective without scoring or assisting, and he deserves credit for the goal that killed the tie and sent City into the FA Cup final.
Mahrez nicked possession just inside his own half and advanced, with Haaland running wide for an inevitable through-ball on goal. As the Sheffield United defence back-peddled and concentrated on Haaland, Mahrez dropped a shoulder brilliantly and strode right through the centre to put daylight between the sides.
And the Algerian completed a deserved hat-trick five minutes later when he ghosted in to convert Jack Grealish's perfect cutback, sealing the victory and prompting both Haaland and Grealish to sit out the last 25 minutes. Just as Southampton fans had done at Arsenal 24 hours previously, City fans were doing the Poznan in London and could start planning a return to Wembley next month.
After a tricky hour, City's quality shone through and the treble hopes remain well and truly alive. Guardiola may not want to field questions on those prospects, but they won't go away now City have reached a second final under his guidance.
The Blues rose to Guardiola's challenge, too, of putting tiredness to one side in a Wembley semi-final to continue fighting on multiple fronts. City's squad may be on their last legs, but have successfully passed two big tests this week in two cup competitions.
If they can land a blow on Arsenal on Wednesday, the treble talk will only increase - however much Guardiola tries to stop it.
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