Manchester City booked their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a 3-1 comeback win over Plymouth Argyle.
Pep Guardiola made 11 changes ahead of kick-off but it started with a seamless transition for the hosts as they dominated the opening exchanges.
However, it was the visitors who struck first when Maksym Talovierov rose highest to head home a corner in the 38th minute.
But the hosts but they recovered quickly, with Nico O’Reilly equalising just before half-time as he glanced in from Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick.
The second half began with City enjoying plenty of possession and going close through Berardo Silva, Rico Lewis and Erling Haaland, and the pressure paid off in the 78th minute as O’Reilly nodded in for his brace.
And from there it was one-way traffic for the hosts, with De Bruyne sliding in to wrap it up in the 90th minute.
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Guardiola reacts
City boss Pep Guardiola said that his side “played a good game” today.
It’s not just possession. The possession is for that [chances]. They make our job so difficult, incredibly organised, but we played a good game.
“We concede a goal, but we were so solid,” he adds.
He calls O’Reilly “a different type of academy player, he can play in three or four positions, I’m really pleased for the game he played”.
On De Bruyne, he adds: “He’s maybe one of the three best players in the history of this club, without a doubt.”
On the importance of the FA Cup, he finishes by saying: “We know how important it is. Now we are going to fight, and we’re going to see what happens.”
Maksym Talovierov reacts
Plymouth goalscorer Talovierov says he is “so happy to play here against one of the best teams in the world, against really fantastic players”.
“We’re upset because of the result but I hope our fans are proud.
“We really appreciated our fans, every player, we just tried to do our best.
He adds that his father “sends me a lot of info about the strikers!”, though “we didn’t speak a lot about scoring, but it really helps me a lot!”
He adds that he has not seen his father in around three years due to the situation in Ukraine, saying that “of course, I have a really hard situation, but these few hours per day we have just to focus on the game, well football really helps us to forget it”.
O’Reilly reacts
Man of the match Nico O’Reilly is first to react as he speaks to ITV.
He says that his goal lifted spirits, as “going into half-time at 1-0 would’ve been tough”.
He adds that it’s the first time he’s scored a brace since “back in the academy days”, before calling De Bruyne “an amazing player”.
“He always works 100 per cent and it’s a pleasure to play with him.”
O’Reilly goes on to call the FA Cup “a big competition, and we want to win it”.
“Plymouth were a very good team, very physical, and congratulations to them getting this far,” he adds.
FULL-TIME! Man City 3-1 Plymouth
Plymouth exit the FA Cup with some souvenirs, after swapping shirts with Haaland, Foden, Silva and Grealish, many a new admirer and quite a lot of credit in the bank, to add to the financial boost their cup run has provided. City were nowhere near as good as a shot count of 28-1 suggested but they go through.
FULL-TIME! Man City 3-1 Plymouth
The referee brings the match to an end and City earn a deserved win, but it’s a performance that Plymouth will take plenty of heart from.
Man City 3-1 Plymouth
And again from City, with Grealish finding De Bruyne who pokes a brilliant cross to the far post before City win a corner. Nothing comes from the set-piece though.
Man City 3-1 Plymouth
More chances for City, and they’re almost 1-v-1 from near halfway as Silva picks it up, but he can’t find the pass to Grealish.
GOAL! Man City 3-1 Plymouth
GOAL! That seals it.
City break and it’s a long ball in-behind for Haaland, who can only shoot straight at Hazard.
Nevertheless, he picks up the rebound and squares it past the ‘keeper for De Bruyne to slide into an empty net.
Man City 2-1 Plymouth
Oh, could that have been the moment for Plymouth?
They break forward and Al Hajj is allowed into the box unchallenged, but he can’t quite find the pass and the chance goes begging.
Man City 2-1 Plymouth
City are almost in for a third as Grealish finds De Bruyne on the overlap, but his cross is palmed away by Hazard.
Source: independent.co.uk
