Riyad Mahrez brilliance for Man City will give Pep Guardiola more unwanted treble questions

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