Manchester City put in one of their best performances of the season during the second half of their 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. City’s second-half performance did resemble Pep Guardiola’s side at their best. They suffocated Andoni Iraola’s side as they came from 1-nil down at halftime to win 2-1. But what stood out was that both the old and the new combined to help City secure another trip to Wembley.
There were positive signs from Nico O’Reilly and Omar Marmoush, in particular, yesterday. Nico O’Reilly’s introduction at halftime did swing the game. He added exactly what his team needed when he came on. The performance of O’Reilly was one that felt like his coming-of-age moment. Omar Marmoush scored the winner yesterday in the 63rd minute. He replaced an injured Erling Haaland on the hour mark yesterday. So that was a glimpse of the new for Manchester City yesterday.
But we also saw Manchester City’s senior players do what they are known for yesterday. Kevin De Bruyne put in an inspirational performance for his team. Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva all did their part, especially in the second half. Kovacic and Gundogan, in particular, were both superb yesterday. They helped Manchester City control the game yesterday, and in the process, they showed that there is still life in that particular quartet. Jack Grealish also showed when he came on in the second half that he can still be a valuable contributor for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Pep Guardiola praised the performances of his senior players following Manchester City’s win.
In quotes relayed by the Daily Mail Pep Guardiola praised the performances of his senior players yesterday. He believed that they regained their passion for the fight at the Vitality Stadium yesterday. Speaking post-game, Guardiola explained: “What we missed this season was heart, soul, the desire from how we’d done it for many, many years. And for a manager, the most important thing to recover this passion. The legendary players who have given the most incredible things for the club, they made the step up again with an excellent performance. I am really pleased to be back at Wembley for a seventh time in a row – this is an incredible achievement.”
Manchester City’s senior players stepped up in a big way yesterday against Bournemouth. But there were also crucial contributions from Manchester City’s next wave of players. All told, the old and the new combined to help Manchester City pick up a crucial win. That does bode well for the remainder of this season for Pep Guardiola’s side. There was a hunger on display from all of City’s players at the Vitality Stadium. The hope is now that the hunger remains as City push on yo achieve their goals this season.
