The much improved display will give Monk plenty of encouragement ahead of Saturday’s trip to high-flying Brentford and on the back of a disappointing sequence of results which has seen them slip to 12th in the Championship. But with Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad in town, a plethora of some of Fleet Street’s finest were at S6 for the big game. So what did they make of Wednesday’s performance?
1. The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror's David Anderson focused more on goalscorer Sergio Aguero's post-match light-hearted comments describing his Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as 'crazy' after he was substituted in the closing stages of the tie. The Mirror did, however, report that Wednesday boss Garry Monk was 'pleased with his side’s display and felt Aguero’s goal would have been chalked off if VAR had been in operation'. Photo: Martin Rickett
2. The Guardian
The Guardian ran with the headline 'Sergio Agüero fires Manchester City past stubborn Sheffield Wednesday' with its reporter Jamie Jackson making reference to the large swathes of empty seats at S6. "Hillsborough was far from full, perhaps in protest at Wednesday’s form," he wrote. "A pity as Monk’s men took the contest to their visitors when possible – a burst from Jacob Murphy drawing a foul owing to an Otamendi bodycheck." Photo: Clive Brunskill
3. The Sun
The Sun ran with the headline 'Sergio Aguero hits record-breaking strike as full-strength Citizens edge past Owls' and its reporter Martin Blackburn highlighted Wednesday's resistance and praised goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, writing: "Mahrez and Stones both had chances to make the tie safe for City but Wildsmith kept his team in the game. And they could have grabbed an unlikely equaliser as Alex Hunt’s cross found its way to the backpost and sub Steven Fletcher could not quite get a toe on it. It gave the home fans hope they could force extra time but City were not to be denied." Photo: Clive Brunskill
4. The Times
The Times headline simply read 'Free-scoring Sergio Agüero keeps Manchester City’s eyes on another prize', but its reporter at the game Henry Winter was full of praise for Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan. He wrote: "Bannan clearly had not got the memo from the wardrobe department and was resplendent in long striped sleeves, which almost flopped over his hands. Bannan almost triggered a Mexican wave when controlling the ball, eluding Jesus, putting one foot on the ball before flicking it through, beating David and Bernardo." Photo: Martin Rickett