Man City secure comeback win at Bournemouth to reach FA Cup semi-finals

Man City secure comeback win at Bournemouth to reach FA Cup semi-finals

Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush kept Manchester City in with a chance of salvaging a trophy from this season as they came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 and reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

Pep Guardiola’s side were trailing to Evanilson’s goal at half-time, after Haaland was guilty of an extraordinary six-minute hat-trick of misses, with Bournemouth looking set for a first appearance in the last four in their history.

But Haaland hauled the visitors level after the break and then, after he departed through injury, his replacement Marmoush tucked away the winner to book a Wembley date with Nottingham Forest.

So for all the talk of a new – or at least new-ish – name on the cup this year, the prospect of City winning it again looms large.

In truth they should have been three up after 16 minutes but for an astonishing treble, of sorts, from Haaland.

The Norway striker wasted his first glorious chance when he met a Matheus Nunes cross with a free header, six yards out, and put it wide.

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Worse was to come for Haaland after Tyler Adams was penalised for handball in the penalty area.

The 24-year-old stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Cherries keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga guessed right and made a fine save low to his left.

And Haaland could do nothing other than offer a wry grin when he completed a his quickfire triple-whammy, bursting clear of down the left only to lift his shot over Kepa and the crossbar.

Bournemouth made him pay in the 21st minute when Nunes gave the ball away to Lewis Cook.

The Cherries skipper fed David Brooks, who swung in a cross which Justin Kluivert, sliding in at the far post, hooked goalwards with Evanilson sticking out a toe to prod it home.

Bournemouth, enjoying such an impressive campaign under Andoni Iraloa, had their tails up while the City midfield of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, which looked old on paper, was looking even older on the pitch.

The hosts almost doubled their lead when a Brooks free-kick eluded everybody in the area and bounced inches wide of Ederson’s far post.

But while it was 1-0 City always had a chance, and De Bruyne curled over in first-half stoppage time while Phil Foden briefly flickered into life at the start of the second with a shot held by Kepa.

Plus Haaland was not going to keep missing forever, and just four minutes after the restart he slid in at the far post to convert substitute Nico O’Reilly inviting cross.

It was Haaland’s 30th goal of the season, but he would not be adding any more on the south coast after a challenge with Cook, leading to a close encounter with an advertising hoarding, forced him out injured.

No matter, as his replacement Marmoush immediately fired them ahead, finishing under Kepa after O’Reilly cleverly flicked him in behind.

Marmoush almost doubled the lead but his header from Nunes’ cross was cleared off the line by Marcos Senesi.

But Bournemouth looked spent, a long season of punching above their weight perhaps finally catching up with them, and City saw out seven minutes of stoppage time before celebrating a record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final.

Man City secure comeback win at Bournemouth to reach FA Cup semi-finals