Manchester City and Crystal Palace Advance in FA Cup Amid Drama
Manchester City battled back from an early deficit to defeat Plymouth Argyle 3-1, securing their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s win over Millwall was marred by a serious injury to striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Manchester City Edge Past Brave Plymouth
Plymouth Argyle, who stunned Premier League leaders Liverpool in the previous round, shocked the Etihad crowd when Maksym Talovierov’s header put them ahead in the 38th minute. However, City’s young midfielder Nico O’Reilly became the hero of the night, scoring twice from set-pieces to turn the match around.
O’Reilly’s first goal just before half-time settled the nerves in the City camp, and he later powered in Phil Foden’s corner in the 76th minute. Star striker Erling Haaland, who started on the bench, made a late appearance and assisted Kevin De Bruyne for City’s third goal in stoppage time.
Mateta Hospitalised in Palace Win
Crystal Palace’s derby victory was overshadowed by a horrifying injury to Mateta, who was stretchered off after being accidentally kicked in the head by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts just eight minutes into the match. Following a VAR review, the referee upgraded Roberts’ initial decision to a red card.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner expressed his anger, stating that the tackle could have ended Mateta’s career. Mateta later reassured fans on Instagram, saying he was doing well and hoped to return stronger.
Despite the early setback, Palace capitalised on their numerical advantage. An own goal from Japhet Tanganga opened the scoring, followed by a second from Daniel Muñoz. Millwall’s Wes Harding pulled one back, but Eddie Nketiah sealed the win with a late header.
Exciting Matches Elsewhere
In other FA Cup action, Bournemouth reached the quarter-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Wolves, while Preston North End shocked Burnley with a dominant 3-0 win, ending their 23-game unbeaten run.
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