Third-tier club Wigan Athletic ended 10-man Manchester City’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple with a stunning 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over Pep Guardiola’s side on Monday.
City manager Guardiola was left incensed as right-back Fabian Delph was given a straight red card on the stroke of half-time.
Then in the 79th minute Wigan striker Will Grigg, assisted by Callum Elder sent the DW Stadium into raptures with a winner.
It was a match that City did not deserve to lose.
They dominated possession with 82 per cent, but then the magic of FA Cup played its trick, with the dominated team shoving the dominant team out of the competition.
And it was a cruel defeat for the expensively assembled City team, worth a combined £714.5 Million to Wigan’s squad worth a paltry £11.2 Million.
For Wigan, however, the victory was not a surprise as they seem to have City DNA in FA Cup.
They beat City by a goal in the 2013 FA cup final and also beat them 2-1 at the quarter finals in 2014, to book a semi-final with Arsenal.
Expectedly, Guardiola issued a somewhat sarcastic congratulations to the Latics.
“Congratulations for Wigan for the qualification, they had one shot on target,” the City boss told BBC Sport.
“We did absolutely everything, we made a mistake and this kind of game is like a final. OK, we accept the defeat.
“I don’t have regrets with the way we played, the performance, the heart. I judge my players on intentions and not results and the intentions were good.
“Wigan won, congratulations to them and now we rest to prepare for the League Cup final.”
City face Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday as they aim to win their first piece of silverware this term.
