Manchester City survived a tense encounter with Plymouth Argyle, winning 3-1 to secure their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta was hospitalized following a serious injury during their 3-1 victory over Millwall.
Plymouth, who had stunned Premier League leaders Liverpool in the previous round, took an early lead at the Etihad Stadium when Maksym Talovierov headed them in front in the 38th minute. City manager Pep Guardiola, facing criticism for rotating his squad, including leaving star striker Erling Haaland on the bench, found his team struggling against the determined League One side.
However, it was 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly who turned the tide for City, scoring twice from set-pieces to silence the Plymouth crowd. His equalizer just before half-time calmed nerves, and he added a second in the 76th minute, heading in Phil Foden’s corner. Haaland was introduced shortly after and assisted Kevin De Bruyne’s stoppage-time goal, sealing the victory.
“Big compliments to Plymouth for making our job so difficult. They were incredibly organized, but we played a good game,” Guardiola said post-match.
In the other fixture, Crystal Palace’s progression came at a cost when Mateta was stretchered off after a head injury caused by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts. The incident occurred just eight minutes into the match, leading to a red card for Roberts after a VAR review confirmed the severity of the challenge.
“Thank you for all your kind messages. I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon,” Mateta posted on Instagram after the match. Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Mateta suffered a serious ear injury but noted it could have been much worse. “Just imagine if he hits his face straight; it could have ended his career,” Glasner remarked.
Despite the early setback, Palace took advantage of their numerical superiority, with an own goal from Japhet Tanganga and a second from Daniel Munoz putting them ahead. Although Millwall’s Wes Harding pulled one back, Eddie Nketiah ensured Palace’s safe passage into the next round with a late header.
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In other FA Cup action, Bournemouth advanced to the quarter-finals for only the third time in their history, winning a thrilling penalty shootout against Wolves after a 1-1 draw. Preston North End also made headlines by defeating Burnley 3-0, marking their first trip to the quarter-finals since 1966, with Milutin Osmajic celebrating his second goal amidst controversy from previous encounters.
