Man City on course to salvage their season

You’ve got to be in it to win it, and Manchester City are now just two games away from a third consecutive FA Cup final after their 3-1 win over Plymouth.

To salvage something from this season, you’d say that a Wembley trip, along with Champions League qualification, is a must.

Was it an easy win? Far from it. The team that had already knocked out Liverpool and Brentford made the long trip to Manchester dreaming of another win.

But Man City’s so-called ‘second string’ – one that included seven senior internationals – managed to do what their Premier League rivals could not, battering the Pilgrims with cross after cross, corner after corner and eventually breaking them down.

There will still be some questions over Man City’s defending, going behind just before the break. But unlike in other games this season, this time they were able to come back and win – a surely welcome confidence boost.

As for Plymouth, they can be incredibly proud of their FA Cup run, and nobody will be able to take away the memories of their brave performances throughout.

Their attention now turns firmly to the battle for Championship survival, and Miron Muslic has the chance to further etch his name into Argyle folklore.

Before that though he has got a more pressing engagement – raising a glass with Pep Guardiola. The City manager told us on Friday that he had bought an expensive bottle of wine to share after Muslic’s kind words pre-match.
Ben Ransom and Charlotte Marsh

Nketiah scores again as more game time beckons

Since his arrival at Crystal Palace, Eddie Nketiah will not have got the game time he wants.

Of his 23 Premier League appearances, he has started in just six. He also has one FA Cup start under his belt.

But given his performance in the 3-1 win against Millwall, and the impending absence of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Nketiah looks set for more minutes and he will need to step up to the mantle.

The striker has previously discussed how pivotal this period in his career is and Crystal Palace will have aspirations now to play at Wembley in the FA Cup once again, hopefully all the way to the final.

Nketiah looked sharp when he replaced the injured Mateta, and could have scored twice within minutes. He had to bide his time for his goal – a fine header – which capped off a good game.

He also found the net in his four-minute cameo against Aston Villa in midweek, so could this be the start of a boost in form for the striker? Both player and club will be hoping so.
Charlotte Marsh

The feelgood factor continues at Bournemouth

The roar when Luis Sinisterra’s match-winning penalty hit the net told you just how much it meant to the Bournemouth fans to keep their FA Cup dream alive.

In the end, after having chances to win the game in normal time and extra-time, and Wolves having a penalty to win the match, the Cherries got over the line in the shoot-out to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for only the third time in their history.

It continues Bournemouth’s incredible season and the feelgood factor around the club.

Qualification for Europe next season through the league is obviously a huge target for Andoni Iraola, but the chance to win silverware should never be overlooked.

Bournemouth are just three wins from glory now and Iraola has twice led unfashionable Spanish clubs to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, in 2020 with second-tier side Mirandes and in 2022 with Rayo Vallecano, who he left to join the Premier League side in the summer of 2023.

The Cherries have never gone beyond the last eight before and as their remarkable season continues, you would not bet against them making history.
Oliver Yew

Brady rolls back the years as ‘Great Wall of Burnley’ is finally breached

Burnley arrived at Preston on an incredible run of 12 straight Championship clean sheets, having not conceded since their 3-1 FA Cup third-round win at Reading – so it was always going to take something special to breach their defence and that is exactly what Robbie Brady did just past the half-hour mark with his first club goal in more than a year.

The hosts were awarded a free-kick some 25 yards out and up stepped the Republic of Ireland international to curl a delightful effort over the wall and into the top corner against his former team as the visitors conceded for the first time in 854 minutes.

And this after both league meetings this season had ended in goalless draws, but that breakthrough gave Paul Heckingbottom’s men the confidence to score twice more to put an emphatic end to Burnley’s 23-game unbeaten run and earn the hosts a place in the last eight for the first time since 1966, where they will be the only non-Premier League team.
Richard Morgan

Rashford’s first goal is coming…

Marcus Rashford is yet to score for Aston Villa after he missed out again in the 2-0 win over Cardiff but it feels like it is just a matter of time before he opens his tally.

Driving at defenders, facilitating his team-mates and wreaking havoc behind the lines – Rashford looks confident and his finishing is the final piece to the puzzle.

Whether it is due to the anticipation of the crowd or the intent he is now showing on the ball, something always feels like it is just about to happen when he is charging forward.

Most importantly, he is doing it with a smile on his face.

The chemistry with his new team-mates – and Marco Asensio in particular – is growing by the day, and if the trajectory continues, making his move permanent for £40m could be one of the signings of the summer.
Patrick Rowe