•Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush (2L) celebrates goal with colleagues
Manchester City came from behind to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for a record seventh consecutive season with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth yesterday, 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, reports AFP.
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 as City booked a semi-final clash against Nottingham Forest.
“Seven times in a row reaching semi-finals in the FA Cup…this is outstanding. This generation of players, they have done this,” said City boss Pep Guardiola.
City have been a shadow of the side that won four consecutive Premier League titles this season, and Guardiola said prior to the game that even FA Cup glory would not save a miserable season.
The English champions’ 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.
But Guardiola hailed the difference in attitude on his side between then and now.
“We came here (in November) with the flip flops on against a team that if you don’t compete, it is impossible,” added Guardiola.
“In football, you have to run. People say about my teams ‘how good they play’ but no, it is how much we run, how much we fight and for many games this season it didn’t happen.”
– Haaland’s hat-trick of misses –
Haaland should have punished a makeshift Cherries defence, missing the suspended Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, 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.
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 an 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 like 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.
“First half we played very well, but the second half the game was definitely for them,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
“We couldn’t keep the same intensity second half, we were a lot more passive and lacking in energy, especially up front.”
