Guardiola Lauds City as They Approach Seventh Straight FA Cup Semi-Final

Manchester City staged a comeback to secure their place in the FA Cup semi-finals for an unprecedented seventh consecutive season, defeating Bournemouth 2-1 on Sunday. However, the win came with a heavy price as Erling Haaland was forced to leave the pitch due to injury.

Haaland initially had a chance to score from the penalty spot in the first half, but his effort was saved before Evanilson put the Cherries in the lead.

The Norwegian striker atoned for his earlier miss just four minutes into the second half, equalising before being withdrawn with an ankle injury.

Substituting Haaland, Omar Marmoush made an immediate impact by netting the winning goal just two minutes after his introduction, aided by another assist from the impressive Nico O’Reilly, as City progressed to face Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals.

“Reaching the semi-finals seven times in a row is remarkable. This group of players has accomplished this,” stated City manager Pep Guardiola.

This season, City has struggled to replicate the form that saw them claim four consecutive Premier League titles, with Guardiola admitting before the match that even winning the FA Cup wouldn’t salvage a disappointing campaign.

City’s decline in the Premier League commenced with a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth back in November, which initiated a dismal sequence of six defeats in eight matches.

However, Guardiola noted a significant shift in his team’s attitude compared to that earlier encounter.

“When we visited in November, we were complacent against a side that demands competition. You simply cannot take them lightly,” added Guardiola.

“In football, effort is crucial. While people talk about how well my teams play, it’s truly about how much ground we cover and how hard we fight, which has been lacking in many matches this season.”

“Nico scored two goals against Plymouth, and his impact today was exceptional. He’s definitely going to feature in the semi-finals.”

“We cherish the FA Cup. Ideally, we aim to reach the final,” O’Reilly told ITV after the match.

“The manager just advised me to make runs behind the defence, support high when the wingers go wide, and that’s precisely what I aimed to do.”

Haaland’s Missed Chances

Haaland squandered a golden opportunity to exploit Bournemouth’s makeshift defence, which was missing the suspended Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, failing to convert multiple chances before half-time.

His first effort from a Matheus Nunes cross went wide, and a handball by Tyler Adams then presented City with a penalty opportunity.

But for the third time in his last six penalties, Haaland was unable to score, with Kepa Arrizabalaga producing a brilliant save.

The miss appeared to play on Haaland’s mind, as he then attempted to lob Kepa but ended up sending the ball over the bar with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Bournemouth struck back against the run of play in the 21st minute.

Nunes, filling in at an unfamiliar right-back position, lost possession to David Brooks. His cross was then met by Justin Kluivert, who directed it across the goal for Evanilson to bundle it in from close range.

In response, Guardiola brought on 20-year-old midfielder O’Reilly, shifting him to left-back.

O’Reilly made an immediate mark with a powerful run down the flank followed by a pinpoint cross, allowing Haaland to score his 30th goal of the season with no mistake this time.

Unfortunately for City, Haaland was soon substituted, concerning Guardiola as the team grappled with securing a Champions League spot in their last nine Premier League encounters.

However, City’s January acquisition of Marmoush is already proving to be a wise decision.

The Egyptian forward has now found the net six times in just 11 appearances after his £59 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.

If Kepa was the hero for Bournemouth in the first half, he was culpable for the winning goal as Marmoush’s shot slipped through his fingers from O’Reilly’s delivery.

“In the first half, we were solid, but in the second half, the game definitely shifted in their favour,” stated Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

“We couldn’t maintain our intensity; we were notably more passive and lacked energy, particularly in the attacking third.”