Manchester City’s Portuguese midfielder #20 Bernardo Silva (L) and Manchester City’s Portuguese defender #03 Ruben Dias (2L) react on the final whistle in the English FA Cup quarter-final football match between Bournemouth and Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England on March 30, 2025. City won the game 2-1. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR ‘LIVE’ SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES. AN ADDITIONAL 40 IMAGES MAY BE USED IN EXTRA TIME. NO VIDEO EMULATION. SOCIAL MEDIA IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES. AN ADDITIONAL 40 IMAGES MAY BE USED IN EXTRA TIME. NO USE IN BETTING PUBLICATIONS, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. /
Manchester City came from behind to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, but victory came at a cost as Erling Haaland hobbled off injured.
Haaland had seen a first-half penalty saved before Evanilson put the Cherries in front.
The Norwegian made amends by equalising four minutes into the second period before being forced off with an ankle injury.
His replacement, Omar Marmoush, took just two minutes to score the winner from a second assist by the impressive Nico O’Reilly.
City will face Nottingham Forest in the last four after reaching the semi-finals for a record seventh consecutive season.
Pep Guardiola said even FA Cup glory would not save a miserable season for the English champions with this competition their final shot at winning a trophy.
City’s collapse in the Premier League began at Bournemouth back in November with a 2-1 defeat that kicked off a run of six defeats in eight games.
Bournemouth were without two of their stars of a fine season as defenders Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez were suspended.
And Haaland should have punished a makeshift Cherries backline with a hat-trick before half-time.
He headed wide his first chance from Matheus Nunes’ driven cross.
A Tyler Adams handball then gifted City the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.
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But for the third time in his last six spot-kicks, Haaland failed to find the net as Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fine save.
That miss seemed to be still in Haaland’s mind when he dinked over Kepa and over the bar with just the Spanish goalkeeper to beat moments later.
City were then hit with a sucker punch by Bournemouth on 21 minutes.
Nunes, deputising in an unfamiliar right-back role, gave the ball away to David Brooks, whose cross was turned across goal by Justin Kluivert and bundled in from point-blank range by Evanilson.
Guardiola responded by introducing 20-year-old midfielder O’Reilly as a makeshift left-back.
O’Reilly made an instant impact with a rampaging run down the left and inch-perfect cross as this time Haaland did not miss for his 30th goal of the season.
Moments later he was forced off in concerning scenes for Guardiola with City still involved in a battle just to qualify for next season’s Champions League in their last nine Premier League games.
But City’s January transfer window move for Marmoush is already looking a shrewd deal.
The Egyptian has now scored six times in 11 appearances since a £59 million ($76 million) transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.
If Kepa was a Bournemouth hero in the first-half, he was at fault for the winner as Marmoush’s effort slipped through his grasp from O’Reilly’s pass.
City should have been more comfortable winners as Kepa denied James McAtee a third goal late on.
Guardiola’s joy, though, was unconfined at full-time as he celebrated with shrieks of delight as a difficult season could yet still end in more City silverware.
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