In a thrilling FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday, Manchester City fought back to secure a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth, booking their place in the semi-finals.
However, the win came at a significant cost, as star striker Erling Haaland was forced off the pitch with an ankle injury after scoring the equaliser.
The match got off to a rocky start for City as Haaland’s penalty was saved in the first half, before Bournemouth’s Evanilson put the Cherries ahead with a well-taken goal.
Yet, the Norwegian striker redeemed himself early in the second half, leveling the score just four minutes after the break.
However, Haaland’s joy was short-lived as he limped off the pitch, leaving fans worried about his fitness.
City’s substitute, Omar Marmoush, proved to be the hero, scoring the winner just two minutes after coming on.
The goal came from a brilliant assist by Nico O’Reilly, who had already impressed with his earlier contributions.
With the win, City extended their remarkable record of reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for a seventh consecutive season, where they will face Nottingham Forest for a place in the final.
Despite the victory, Pep Guardiola’s mind was focused on the bigger picture, acknowledging that an FA Cup title would not be enough to save what has been a difficult season for the Premier League champions.
With City battling for a Champions League spot in the final stretch of the Premier League, the FA Cup remains their only realistic hope of adding silverware this season.
Bournemouth, missing key defenders Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez due to suspension, were resilient but ultimately lacked the defensive stability required to withstand City’s attacking pressure.
Haaland, in particular, was presented with multiple opportunities to put City ahead, but the Norwegian failed to capitalize on his chances.
His missed penalty, saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga, was followed by another disappointing moment when Haaland missed the target from close range with only Kepa to beat.
Then, on 21 minutes, City were caught out by a swift Bournemouth counter. Nunes, filling in at right-back, lost possession to David Brooks, whose cross was flicked across the box by Justin Kluivert.
Evanilson bundled it over the line, putting the Cherries ahead against the run of play.
Guardiola responded by introducing O’Reilly, who quickly made an impact with a lung-busting run and a perfect cross that allowed Haaland to score his 30th goal of the season.
But, as mentioned, the joy was fleeting for the Norwegian, who limped off just moments later with what appeared to be a concerning injury.
The game’s decisive moment came when Marmoush, who arrived at City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January for £59 million, took advantage of a mistake by Kepa, who failed to keep out his shot from O’Reilly’s assist.
Marmoush has now scored six goals in just 11 appearances for City, proving to be a valuable addition to Guardiola’s squad.
Despite further chances, including a denied effort by James McAtee, City held on for the win, but Guardiola’s celebrations at full-time were mixed with a sense of urgency.
With their focus now on the FA Cup and securing a top-four Premier League finish, the pressure remains high for City as they chase more trophies to salvage a challenging season.
