A brace from Nico O’Reilly helped Manchester City come from behind to secure a 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday evening.
Pep Guardiola made a complete overhaul to his starting XI, making all 11 changes from the midweek victory over Tottenham Hotspur, while Plymouth capitalized on the opportunity to face a much-changed City side, reminiscent of Brentford’s upset earlier in the competition.
Despite a slow start, with Plymouth dominating early on, the hosts took the lead in the 38th minute through Maksym Talovierov’s header. This unexpected goal came from Plymouth’s first set piece of the game, having yet to win a corner or take a shot before that moment.
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City responded right before halftime, with O’Reilly heading home Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick, which squirmed past Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard’s weak glove.
After the break, City continued to press, with Erling Haaland spurning several chances. It wasn’t until the 76th minute that O’Reilly’s second header from a corner, directed to the back post, finally put City ahead.
De Bruyne sealed the win in the 90th minute, adding a final layer of polish to the scoreline. Though Plymouth’s heroic cup run ended here, their performances this season will remain a highlight of the FA Cup.
