Manchester City remain on course to win a major title this season after securing an FA Cup semifinal spot.
Pep Guardiola’s side battled back in their quarterfinal showdown at Bournemouth as second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush sealed a place in the final four later this month.
The half-time introduction of Nico O’Reilly transformed City, as he laid on both goals, and Guardiola reached the semifinals for the seventh successive season.
City have won the FA Cup twice under Guardiola’s leadership, and they have been paired against Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest in the battle to reach the 2025 final.
Guardiola’s team are currently fifth in the Premier League rankings, six points behind third place Forest, and they face a battle to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for next season.
With the Premier League expected to be granted an extra fifth spot, City’s qualification hopes are boosted, but they have not finished outside the top three since Guardiola’s arrival in 2016.
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Guardiola acknowledged his team have fallen way below expectations this season, via an early Champions League exit, and they trail EPL leaders Liverpool by an eye-watering 22 points.
“We won one title already. We won the Community Shield. This season has been poor, nothing is going to change that,” he said via BBC Sport.
“It has not been good, that is not going to change. Last year we played in a final and could not win it. We have an incredible target to qualify for the Champions League next season and that’s what we are going to try to do.”
Up next for City is a return to EPL action at home to relegation-battling Leicester City on April 2.
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