BERNARDO SILVA’S double kept them dreaming of the treble…even if Pep Guardiola refuses to entertain the idea for another few weeks.

The Manchester City gaffer insists he won’t even consider the prospect of repeating last term’s triple triumph until the last fortnight or so of the season.

Man City booked their place in the FA Cup semis with a 2-0 win against Newcastle

Bernardo Silva bagged both goals at the Etihad

Well, if all City’s opponents between now and then roll over as meekly as the Toon did here, it’s going to be another finale to remember for the Spaniard.

Let’s face it, it’s hard enough to get a result at this place at the best of times. When you’re dangling a leg, nodding a head and sticking the ball in the net for them, it becomes impossible.

That’s what happened last night, though, as twice Bernardo took aim with first half strikes, and twice his efforts were heading for goal.

Whether either would have ended up there? You’d have to say that was highly debatable. Let’s just say they weren’t exactly palm-stingers.

Yet on both occasions they found a way past keeper Martin Dubravka thanks to a lazy leg, and a craned, ill-placed flick of the neck muscles.

First up it was Dan Burn on 13 minutes, turning his body sideways and stretching his right leg backwards in an almost languid attempt to block as Silva cut inside and shot.

Silva opened the scoring after 13 minutes

The ball flicked the back of his leg, looped over Dubravka in an agonising, almost apologetic arc, and City were a goal up.

Given the lack of anything but the faintest flicker of a Geordie threat, essentially we could have all packed up and gone home there and then.

There was never any serious danger of anything other than a sky blue stroll into the last eight.

But if there were any doubters, even they were convinced 13 minutes before the break when Bernardo cocked the trigger once again….and Newcastle pulled it for him.

The Portuguese added his second in the 31st minute

In many ways it was a replica of the first, save for Ruben Dias shuffling the ball right to his Portuguese pal, rather than Rodri.

Once more Bernardo stepped back inside, once more he left rip with a shot that was directed, rather than dynamic.

And once more a Toon defender – this time Sven Bottman, craning his neck to make contact – changed its goalbound course.

It was hardly a deflection which left Dubravjka flat-footed, given the ball ended up going beneath the flying keeper’s legs.

If you were being cruel – okay, let’s be cruel – there was a decent case for thinking the Slovakian stopper could have made a better fist of keeping it out

No matter, it was two down, and too big a mountain. Mind you, one goal had looked like Everest.

And in truth, Newcastle never really came close to even reaching base camp, let alone anywhere near the summit.

Let’s not forget, by the way, that losing here effectively brought the curtain down on their season.

One which began with hopes of a Champions League adventure and is stumbling towards a conclusion with them in tenth place and heading for the Europa Conference at best.

Not exactly what they had in mind when those Sheikh, rattle and rollers turned the place into Geordie Arabia, eh?

City were all smiles at the final whistle

Pep Guardiola has edged a step closer to retaining the Treble

And the worrying thing for boss Eddie Howe is the way they bid such a limp and lame farewell to the FA Cup here.

Okay, City had 80 per cent of possession, yet there was just a lack of intensity and jeopardy. Magic of the Cup? In the main this was about as high octane as a pre-season game.

Occasionally City would inject a bit of energy and electricity into it. Like Jeremy Doku’s run and sidefoot which had Dubravka leaping to push his shot behind.

To be honest, there were times when the lightning Doku was racing at Jamal Lascelles when it was almost cruel.

Although the centre back’s hook-around-the-neck to stop him on one occasion was worthy of a Six Nations sin binning, rather than the yellow card it brought

It was another miserable night for Toon and Eddie Howe

Anthony Gordon was unable to impact the game after his England nod

But back to the sights of goal, and Erling Haaland had another, whipping an effort a coat of paint wide, while a Josko Gvardiol rocket was deflected and this one went in Newcastle’s favour.

Unbelievably, there was even a brief moment of elevated heart palpitations in the sky blue backline when Alexandar Isak scored a point-blank shot that undoubtedly had to inspire optimism.

Actually, no, because Stefan Ortega, filling in for Ederson following his self-inflicted injury against Anfield a week prior, used his remarkably powerful left hand to beat it away.

In a desperate attempt to give his damaged regiment some life, Howe attempted a mass replacement of four men. It added a little more vigor, but not much closer to a finished result.

Indeed, the closest we got to another goal came when Haaland bulldozed his way into the box, but this time Bottman deflected his shot over the bar.

All pretty routine, all pretty humdrum and – worryingly for Newcastle this season – all too familiar.