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Manchester City’s blushes were spared by Nico O’Reilly’s double, which led to a comeback 3-1 victory over giant-killers Plymouth on Saturday in the FA Cup fifth round.

After defeating top-flight side Brentford in the third round, Plymouth had snagged victory in the Championship relegation zone, beating Premier League leaders Liverpool in the fourth round.

When Maksym Talovierov gave the visitors the lead in the first half at the Etihad Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s men ran the risk of becoming Plymouth’s most well-known scalp.

O’Reilly, who was born in Manchester and made his first start for City, turned out to be the unlikely hero with a brace that prevented his troubled team from reaching their worst point of the season.

City, who are hoping FA Cup success can save them from a poor campaign that saw them finish fourth in the Premier League and beleaguered from the Champions League and League Cup, had Kevin De Bruyne on target.

City are now in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after being defeated by Manchester United in the final of last year’s final. They are hoping to win the competition for the third time under Guardiola’s leadership.

Guardiola has never denied his admiration for the FA Cup, saying this week, “No domestic cup competition in world football can compete with its beauty.”

After winning the league match at Tottenham on Wednesday, the Spaniard still changed his starting lineup.

In their 1-0 defeat at Plymouth, Liverpool had already paid the price, and City were also in danger.

Before Conor Hazard saved Ilkay Gundogan’s header, Phil Foden’s deflected strike sailed just wide.

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City Escape

When Gundogan fired ten yards from the spot after Jack Grealish’s cross found the German midfielder, Plymouth sat deep to defy City, who were just inches away from ending their resistance.

Guardiola’s team made headway before falling behind with a 38th-minute sucker punch, which was Argyle’s plan perfectly.

With a superb header that arrowed into the far corner, Stefan Ortega had no chance of getting hurt as Ukraine defender Talovierov rose above the City defense to face a corner.

As shell-shocked City attempted to flee the canvas, Vitor Reis thumped a header just wide.

De Bruyne’s low drive made a good save, but Hazard made a sprawling save with his left.

On the stroke of half-time, O’Reilly sent City level with a glancing header that Hazard could have used but couldn’t keep out of the penalty area after getting a hand to De Bruyne’s pin-point free kick.

In a bid to break the second-half deadlock, Guardiola sent in Foden who fired just wide.

De Bruyne’s curler was pushed away for a corner by Hazard, and Haaland fired a high six-yard shot from the set-piece.

Hazard’s superb save from just two yards prevented Haaland’s shot from the spot, but the brave Plymouth eventually gave up in the 76th minute.

O’Reilly appeared to get away with a push on Jordan Houghton before burying his header past Hazard from a corner, which was a source of controversy.

Hazard saved Haaland’s shot in stoppage time, leaving De Bruyne on hand to finish City’s escape.

Nobody expected the Catalan giants to be competing for three trophies in March, according to Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who said on Saturday.

After a disappointing campaign in which Barcelona finished without silverware, the German coach took the place of Xavi Hernandez last summer.

Real Madrid and champions Real Madrid are in the Copa del Rey semi-finals and will face Benfica in the Champions League last 16; Fligu’s side leads La Liga on goal difference.

After the week-long schedule, which includes Real Sociedad’s La Liga game on Sunday, Flick said he had no complaints, Barca will have a busy schedule.

The coach said, “The team is doing really well, they have no excuses, just concentrate on the next game.”

We must accept it because it’s difficult to manage everything, and we’ll give it.

No one expected it to be the same as it was when the team started the season, but the team is doing great now that we have three competitions and will compete for three trophies. ”

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Before the Champions League match against La Real in Lisbon on Wednesday, Flirt said he would change his pack.

The coach said, “We need fresh legs, and tomorrow is a good day to do this.” “We will have changes, but I won’t specify which changes we will make,” the coach said.

Andreas Christensen, a Danish defender, had a new injury setback, according to Flick.

The 28-year-old played for the club before being forced to miss several months due to an Achilles injury.

He incurred a calf injury after returning, and Flick claimed it was no longer possible to play for Real Sociedad.

Andreas is available for tomorrow, but he was also injured, according to Flick, who was present.

We are now evaluating the severity of the injury, and we hope it isn’t so (bad). ”

The incident that resulted in Jean Philippe-Mateta being taken to the hospital by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts, according to Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, was “the most reckless” he has ever witnessed.

Roberts caught Mateta’s head with his boot as he ran out of the ball and was sent off just eight minutes into Palace’s FA Cup fifth round match.

Only after a VAR review did the referee Michael Oliver send out a red card.

Mateta was stretchered to an ambulance and taken to a hospital where she spent the majority of her time receiving intensive care, including oxygen.

He has a head injury, a bad gash behind his ear, and what we know is what. He is undoubtedly in a hospital. Therefore, Parish told the BBC, “we hope for the best.”

That’s the most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen on a football field, and I think that’s a lad, because he’s challenging a fellow professional, perhaps for the rest of his life, to face.

Oliver Glasner, the manager of the Palace, confirmed Mateta is conscious but has suffered a serious ear injury.

He is in a hospital and is conscious. His ear has a terrible appearance. We wish him the best of luck because it is a very serious injury,” Glasner said.

“We can’t be really happy; we are not.” Although it’s a great win, you can still reach the quarter-finals, but when you lose a player, especially one like this, you have two different emotions in your stomach.

Mateta has 15 goals total for Palace this season, including eight in his previous nine games.

France won silver at the Paris Olympics last year, and the 27-year-old also netted five times.

At the 1982 World Cup, German goalkeeper Toni Schumacher and French forward Patrick Battiston faced a infamous clash.

With JP (Mateta) in hospital, “It’s difficult for me to think about anything else,” Parish said.

“Someone mentioned there was a similar one at the 1982 World Cup, but it’s a terrible challenge. I have no idea why the referee was required to appear on the screen.

The man advantage was used almost the entire time by Palace to advance to the quarter-finals.

Before Daniel Munoz prodded in a second, Japhet Tanganga’s own goal broke the visitors’ resistance.

13 minutes into stoppage time, Mateta’s treatment, added another goal for the Lions after Wes Harding restored the Lions’ goal.

Eddie Nketiah’s looping header found the far corner, forcing Palace to wait until 82 minutes before making a progress.

In a controversial other Preston defeated Burnley 3-0 in an all-Championship match to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1966 in a different controversial match, beating Preston 3-0 in the championship match.

Before kick-off, Preston forward Milutin Osmajic was charged with making a racist remark toward Hannibal Mejbri, and the entire Burnley team refused to shake his hand.

Scott Parker made sweeping changes to his side, but Osmajic started and scored Preston’s second goal, cupping his ear to the Burnley supporters in celebration.

As Burnley’s nine consecutive clean sheets came to an end, Robbie Brady and Will Keane were also on target.

Moro Ojomo, an American football player who was born in Nigeria, was greeted at the State House in Abuja by President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu, who was present, stated that the American football player’s Super Bowl performance and display of the Nigerian flag rekindled the country’s pride.

The President praised the athlete’s perseverance and praised his government’s willingness to work with diaspora talents to promote the development of human capital, particularly in sports.

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At a meeting held at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu said, “With the kind of focus that you have, you can mentor many youths and develop our culture.”

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Ololade, Bimbo, his mother, Modele, his sister, and Ojomo went to Tinubu with his father, father, and sister.

On Wednesday, the American football player arrived in Nigeria. Before the family moved to the US when he was seven, he was born in Lagos.

Morotoluwa Ojomo, the reigning Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, was honored in front of the audience by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Hon. NIDCOM, the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), led him. On Friday, February 28, 2025, Abike Dabiri-Erewa visits the State House. https://twitter.com/eFE5ht3Fgl

In Super Bowl LIX, he recently won his first Super Bowl game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

On February 9, 2025, the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans with a decisive 40-22 score.

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