March 02, (THEWILL) – Manchester City progressed to the FA Cup quarter-finals after defeating Plymouth Argyle 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Plymouth initially took the lead when Maksym Talovierov headed them in front after 38 minutes, threatening another giant-killing following their previous round victory over Liverpool.
City youngster Nico O’Reilly turned the match around with two headed goals from set-pieces, equalising just before half-time and scoring the winner 14 minutes from time. Kevin De Bruyne added a third goal in stoppage time, assisted by substitute Erling Haaland, whom Pep Guardiola had initially left on the bench during a surprising rotation of his squad.
Crystal Palace also advanced to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Millwall in a match marred by a serious injury to Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts received a red card after eight minutes for a dangerous challenge that sent Mateta to hospital with a serious ear injury, prompting Palace manager Oliver Glasner to comment that the impact could have ended the Frenchman’s career.
Bournemouth reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for only the third time in their history after defeating Wolves 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. The match featured VAR controversy when Milos Kerkez had a goal disallowed for offside after an eight-minute check when the semi-automated system malfunctioned, while Wolves finished with ten men after Matheus Cunha was sent off for violent conduct.
Preston North End eliminated Burnley with a 3-0 victory at Deepdale, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 1966. Montenegro international Milutin Osmajic, who had been accused of racist abuse by Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri two weeks earlier, scored Preston’s second goal and celebrated by gesturing towards Burnley supporters, adding tension to a match where Burnley players had refused to shake his hand beforehand.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
