Carlos Tevez on target as City reach last four

Mark Hughes was delighted after watching his Manchester City side beat Arsenal 3-0 to set up a Carling Cup semi-final meeting with rivals Man United.

The modern Manchester City tend to get things spectacularly right or horribly wrong. Last night they rediscovered some of the form that marked the sunnier days of early season to waltz past Arsenal and into their first cup semi-final for nearly 29 years.
For all their recent and obvious flaws in the Barclays Premier League, where they have drawn seven successive games and are seventh in the table, City were superb, playing the type of football and scoring the kind of goals that the club's owners have spent £200million to see.

Earlier in the day there had been rumours that Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi would be present in the stadium for the first time since buying the club in August, 2008. Ultimately, it was a shame they were not true for this was English football at its best. Arsene Wenger's young Arsenal team played their part, too, as they stood toe to toe with City during a first half that produced much in the way of entertainment but, remarkably, no goals.

But once Carlos Tevez paid back a substantial part of the £25m invested in him to move from Manchester United in the summer with a stunning opening goal in the 50th minute, City were able to relax enough to play some of the football of which they are very capable when confidence and adrenaline run through their veins.

By full time they were worthy winners, with distance put between them and Arsenal by a Shaun Wright-Phillips goal that was better than Tevez's opener and a last-minute effort from substitute Vladimir Weiss laid on a plate for him by the remarkable courage and running of Craig Bellamy

Hughes was surprised his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger disappeared down the tunnel before he could shake hands with him.

"You have to be gracious when you win and gracious in defeat and maybe Arsene wasn't too gracious but I can understand it, maybe he's used to winning games and when he does get beat sometimes he doesn't know how to behave."

But Wenger's curt response to Hughes' comment was: "I think I have nothing to say. I am free to shake hands with whom I want."