Manchester City advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals for a record seventh consecutive season with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, but the victory was marred by an injury to Erling Haaland.
Haaland had a mixed performance, missing a first-half penalty before Bournemouth’s Evanilson put the Cherries in front. However, the Norwegian striker made amends early in the second half, scoring the equalizer before being forced off with an ankle injury.
His replacement, Omar Marmoush, needed just two minutes to make an impact, scoring the winner from a brilliant assist by Nico O’Reilly. The victory secured City’s place in the semi-finals, where they will face Nottingham Forest.
“Seven times in a row reaching the semi-finals in the FA Cup…this is outstanding. This generation of players has done it,” said City manager Pep Guardiola, praising the consistency of his squad.
While City have struggled to replicate their dominant form from recent seasons, Guardiola acknowledged the importance of the FA Cup run, even though he had previously stated that it would not be enough to salvage a disappointing league campaign.
City’s troubles in the Premier League began with a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth in November, marking the start of a run of six defeats in eight games. However, Guardiola was quick to highlight the attitude change since that defeat.
“We came here (in November) with flip-flops on, against a team that if you don’t compete, it’s impossible to win,” Guardiola said. “In football, you have to run. People talk about my teams being good because of how they play, but no, it’s about how much we run, how much we fight. For many games this season, that hasn’t happened.”
– Haaland’s missed chances –
Haaland should have punished a makeshift Bournemouth defense missing the suspended Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, but he squandered several chances in the first half.
He missed his first opportunity when he headed wide from Matheus Nunes’ cross. Then, a Tyler Adams handball gifted City a penalty, but for the third time in his last six attempts, Haaland was denied as Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fine save. Haaland also failed to score moments later when he dinked the ball over Kepa and the bar, despite being one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
The visitors were then hit with a sucker punch on 21 minutes. Nunes, playing out of position at right-back, gave the ball away to David Brooks, whose cross was turned in by Justin Kluivert and bundled in by Evanilson at close range.
Guardiola responded by introducing 20-year-old midfielder O’Reilly as a makeshift left-back. O’Reilly made an immediate impact, delivering a precise cross for Haaland to score his 30th goal of the season.
However, Haaland was forced off soon after with an injury, creating an air of concern for Guardiola, especially with City still in the battle for Champions League qualification in the final stretch of the Premier League season.
– Marmoush’s Impact –
City’s January transfer move for Omar Marmoush is already proving to be a savvy one. The Egyptian forward, who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for £59 million ($76 million), scored his sixth goal in 11 appearances for his new club, netting the decisive goal in just his second minute on the field.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had been Bournemouth’s hero in the first half with several key saves, was caught out for the winner, allowing Marmoush’s effort to slip through his grasp following another brilliant assist from O’Reilly.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola reflected on his team’s performance: “In the first half, we played very well, but in the second half, the game was definitely theirs. We couldn’t maintain the same intensity, we were much more passive and lacking energy, especially up front.”
With the win, City move closer to another FA Cup final, as they continue their bid for silverware amid a challenging season in the league.
