Manchester City had to come from behind to beat Championship side Plymouth 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium to advance to the last eight of the FA Cup.
Plymouth, Liverpool’s fourth-round winners, were hoping for another upset when Maksym Talovierov headed Miron Muslic’s team ahead in the 38th minute. Teenager Nico O’Reilly scored twice as Manchester City fought back to lead, ruining the Pilgrims’ chances of extending their unexpected cup run after wins against Brentford and Liverpool.
As a substitute left-back, the 19-year-old headed an equalizer before halftime and again 14 minutes from time. With his third goal in the 90th minute, Kevin De Bruyne secured City’s quarterfinal spot.
City’s triumph was expected given their near-total dominance of play, and it keeps Pep Guardiola’s side’s prospects of winning silverware alive with the FA Cup their final opportunity.
However, Plymouth’s staunch defense gave the Premier League team enough to consider. Since replacing Wayne Rooney on New Year’s Eve, new head coach Muslic has given the Pilgrims a chance to avoid Championship relegation and lead them to cup triumphs.
