Manchester City Come from Behind to Beat Bournemouth in FA Cup Quarter-Finals

Manchester City staged a dramatic comeback to beat Bournemouth and reach the FA Cup semi-finals. 

Manchester City staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Bournemouth 2-1, securing a record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final appearance. This victory marked City's 15th successive away win in the competition, a testament to their enduring prowess in the FA Cup.

Manchester City's season has been marred by disappointment, but the FA Cup presented an opportunity for redemption. After withstanding a lively start from Bournemouth, Pep Guardiola's team began to assert their dominance. Erling Haaland squandered an early chance, heading wide from Matheus Nunes' cross, and was subsequently presented with a penalty opportunity after Tyler Adams' handball. However, Haaland failed to capitalize, as Kepa Arrizabalaga produced a spectacular save to deny him.

FULL-TIME | FA Cup semi-finalists! 🙌

🍒 1-2 🩵 #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/y2Nc9dVL1k

— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 30, 2025

Haaland's profligacy continued when he chipped the ball over the bar, having been played through one-on-one. These missed opportunities proved costly for City, as Bournemouth seized the initiative just before the midpoint of the first half, leaving Guardiola's team facing an uphill battle to reclaim the ascendancy.

Bournemouth capitalized on a mistake by the visitors in their own third, swiftly transitioning into a counter-attack. David Brooks delivered a cross from the right flank, which Justin Kluivert met at the back post. Although Kluivert's shot lacked power and was barely crossing the goal line, Evanilson ensured the goal was secured by emphatically finishing it, notching his second goal in consecutive games against the visitors.

Pep Guardiola made a tactical adjustment at halftime, introducing Nico O'Reilly, an academy graduate, into the game. O'Reilly's impact was immediate, as he burst down the left wing and provided a precise square pass for Erling Haaland, who tapped in the equalizer at the back post within four minutes of the restart. However, City suffered a setback when Haaland was forced to exit the game due to injury on the hour mark.

 

Nico O’Reilly with two assists off the bench to turn the game around for @ManCity 🩵

He is the @emirates Player of the Match 👏 pic.twitter.com/AshxVn8aDN

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 30, 2025

The visitors' substitution proved pivotal, as Omar Marmoush, Haaland's replacement, swiftly made his presence felt. Within two minutes of entering the game, the Egyptian forward completed City's comeback by poking home the ball after Nico O'Reilly had dispossessed Antoine Semenyo. Marmoush continued to threaten, forcing Marcos Senesi to clear a header off the line as Bournemouth struggled to regain their footing in the contest.

As the game intensified, Bournemouth found themselves on the back foot, struggling to launch counter-attacks. Meanwhile, City's pressure nearly yielded another goal, but İlkay Gündoğan's strike ricocheted off the post, sparing the hosts from further deficit.

In the dying moments of the match, James McAtee was thwarted by Kepa Arrizabalaga, as Bournemouth's desperate defense managed to repel the attack. However, their last-ditch defensive efforts were not matched by their attacking prowess, ultimately costing them a historic first-ever FA Cup semi-final appearance.

The defeat marked Bournemouth's 20th loss in 22 encounters against Manchester City. As a result, their focus shifts to securing European qualification. Meanwhile, City will face Nottingham Forest in the semi-final, seeking redemption after last year's defeat in the FA Cup final.