Match Report and Player Ratings: Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City (FA Cup Quarter-Final) | OneFootball

Manchester City booked their ticket to Wembley Stadium as they came out victorious in a hard fought FA Cup Quarter-Final tie at the Vitality Stadium against Bournemouth.

After the international break, Pep Guardiola’s side were thrown straight in to a crucial game to maintain their hopes of a trophy-winning season. The Blues started nervously, with Ederson looking unusually shaky in his passing out from the back.

Manchester City’s first opportunity came in the seventh minute; a fizzing cross from Matheus Nunes operating as a full-back found Erling Haaland, but the Norwegian failed to adjust his body in time and nodded the ball wide from close range.

The tie took a dramatic turn in the 12th minute when referee Stuart Attwell awarded a penalty to Manchester City after Tyler Adams’ handball in the box obstructed a flick-up from Bernardo Silva, leaving the official with no choice but to point to the spot.

It was Erling Haaland who stepped up, but Bournemouth’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga guessed right, diving low to his left to make a crucial save and deny the Norwegian international striker.

Just four minutes later and City’s leading goalscorer had another golden opportunity to open the scoring. The Citizens’ number nine found himself through on goal, however his attempt to dink the goalkeeper sailed over the bar.

Bournemouth were not content to sit back as Antoine Semenyo caused real problems for last years’ finalists, skipping past Phil Foden and finding space but sending a left-footed shot wide of the target.

The Cherries’ persistence finally paid off in the 21st minute when they took the lead. A sloppy pass from Nunes under pressure found Lewis Cook, who fed David Brooks expertly placing a ball for Justin Kluivert and a goal-bound effort landed at the feet of Evanilson to tap in from close range.

Pep Guardiola’s side were seemingly rattled, and the Cherries were looking increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack. In the 25th minute, Semenyo weaved past Nunes and fired a shot just wide of the target.

A half chance for the Blues came in the 31st minute when roles were reversed as Nunes burst past Semenyo , but the Portuguese’s effort was not a threat to the Bournemouth keeper, maintaining the Cherries’ lead.

Andoni Iraola’s team came close to doubling their lead just before the half-time whistle as David Brooks’ free-kick almost found Marcos Senesi, but it was narrowly cleared by Ilkay Gundogan.

After 45 minutes of intense football, the referee blew his whistle for the half-time break, with the Cherries holding a well-deserved lead. Pep Guardiola made a tactical change at half-time, bringing on Nico O’Reilly for yellow-carded Abdukodir Khusanov, and it was instant impact.

Just a minute after the interval, O’Reilly found himself in space down the left and delivered an inviting cross into the box, but there was no one there to meet it. However, the signs were there that the blues were back in their rhythm.

Guardiola’s team talk must have struck some life into his side as the citizens started to look much more like themselves. Bernardo Silva flicked the ball on to Phil Foden, who embarked on a brilliant, winding run. The England international managed to get off a shot that forced a smart save from Kepa, signalling a shift in momentum towards the visitors.

City’s persistence paid off and O’Reilly once again exploited the left, delivering a precise cross for Erling Haaland, who made no mistake in tapping in for an equaliser. After a frustrating first half, City were back level, and the belief was flowing through the side once again.

From that point onward, it was all Manchester City. The Blues controlled the majority of possession, asserting dominance over Bournemouth, who were struggling to cope with the intensity of play.

But just as it seemed like City were gaining control, disaster struck when Haaland went down after a heavy challenge from Lewis Cook, sending him into the advertising boards. Haaland signalled he could no longer continue, and was replaced by Omar Marmoush.

Despite the loss of their main striker, City didn’t miss a beat as O’Reilly was again the architect. A slip from Bournemouth’s Semenyo allowed the substitute to send a pass through to Marmoush, who made no mistake in slotting his right-footed effort past Kepa with a composed finish to give City a 2-1 lead.

With momentum firmly in their favour, City looked for a third. Nunes’ cross found Marmoush, whose header was cleared off the line, before the ball fell to Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian’s effort was deflected out for a corner, but it was clear that City were in control.

Pep Guardiola made another change by bringing on Jack Grealish for Phil Foden. The former immediately showed quality, turning the Bournemouth defence inside out, laying the ball off to Ilkay Gundogan, whose left-footed shot from the edge of the box hit the post.

City continued to press for a decisive goal and in the dying moments. Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne combined beautifully inside the box, with the ball falling to James McAtee. However, the Bournemouth keeper came up with a timely save to prevent further damage.

As the referee blew the final whistle, Manchester City had managed to hold on to a 2-1 lead thanks to a brace of assists from Nico O’Reilly and goals from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush to book their place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley Stadium, with Nottingham Forest standing in their way for a place in the final.

Player Ratings

Starting XI

Ederson – 5

The Brazilian started off shaky, with his distribution nowhere near the level we are used to. However, he settled in the second half and dealt with everything that was thrown at him well.

Matheus Nunes – 6.5

Had trouble dealing with Antoine Semenyo in the first 45 minutes but grew into the game and had a solid performance throughout the second half, nearly setting up a goal by creating a chance out of nothing.

Abdukodir Khusanov – 5

A troubled first 45 minutes for the Uzbekistan international, picking up a yellow card causing him to be more cautious before being replaced at half time.

Ruben Dias – 7

The Portuguese defender, like the rest of the backline, struggled in the first half but was a commanding presence in the second, helping solidify City’s defence as they turned the game around.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

The Croatian moved into centre-back in the second half, showing composure and strength as he played a key role in stabilising City’s defence.

Mateo Kovacic – 7

The Citizens number eight linked up well with Ilkay Gundogan to ensure the midfield remained stable to hold on to the lead.

Ilkay Gundogan – 8

Gundogan delivered his best performance in recent weeks, controlling the midfield, providing crucial leadership, and coming close to scoring with an effort that hit the post.

Bernardo Silva – 7

Silva was solid throughout, finding space in the pockets and delivering some excellent passes to help orchestrate City’s attacking play.

Phil Foden – 5

The England international had a quiet game, struggling to make an impact before being substituted.

Kevin De Bruyne – 7

The Belgian helped control the play in the second half, dictating the tempo and creating several key chances, as he played a vital role in City’s turnaround.

Erling Haaland – 7

After a poor first half performance , the Norwegian made amends by tapping in the equaliser. However his afternoon was cut short due to an expected ankle injury.

Substitutes

Nico O’Reilly – 9 (MOTM)

The youngster was outstanding, making an instant impact after replacing Khusanov, setting up two goals and showing an impressive performance throughout.

Omar Marmoush – 8

Another substitute who made an instant impact, Marmoush took his goal extremely well and looked like a threat for the remainder of the game.

Jack Grealish – 7.5

A solid performance from City’s number 10, who was excellent in keeping control of the game and drawing in fouls to ensure the blues stayed on top of the second half.

Nico Gonzalez – 6.5

Nico did exactly what was needed of him when he came on, kept control of the defensive side of the midfield to see the game out.

James McAtee – 6

Worked well with Grealish to keep control of the ball and to slow down the tempo when needed.