City fell to Plymouth, but rallied in stoppage time to secure a spot in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Manchester City has moved on to the FA Cup quarter-finals after defeating Plymouth 3-1 at home in a match that proved to be more challenging than anticipated.
The Championship team previously eliminated Liverpool in the last round, yet they came to the Etihad as the clear underdogs.
Manager Guardiola opted for a different strategy, opting for a lineup without a traditional striker, leaving both Haaland and Marmuš on the bench.
Plymouth managed to take the lead in the first half with a surprising performance, scoring their only shot of the match when Maksim Telovierov netted a header from a corner kick in the 38th minute.
However, City responded strongly after the break as 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly scored two headers, one in the first minute of injury time and another in the 76th minute.
The final score came to 3-1, with Kevin de Bruyne sealing the victory in the 90th minute, assisted by Haaland, who had been substituted into the game.
Other teams progressing to the quarter-finals include Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Preston, and Bournemouth.
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