Ederson Stayed alive to tip a Kevin Danso header over the bar in first half injury time, followed by some brilliant goalkeeping as Spurs improved after the break and peppered City's goal. One fine stop from Son late on - City's unsung hero. 8
Matheus Nunes Restored to right-back, Nunes inverted forwards to support the attack but couldn't quite find the final pass. Both Haaland and Guardiola scolded him at half-time for one overhit cross, which he made up for with a goal-saving interception later. 7
Ruben Dias Back after a tactical omission vs Liverpool, Dias kept things simple and helped Khusanov. Exactly the kind of response Guardiola will have been looking for. 7
Abdukodir Khusanov A shaky start but recovered well and showed why he is the only centre-back to start against Spurs, Liverpool, Newcastle, Real Madrid and Chelsea. 6
Josko Gvardiol Less attacking than usual with Doku the threat on the left. Nevertheless, a good chance to showcase his defensive abilities which often go forgotten. 6
Mateo Kovacic A better performance as he finally got a defensive midfield partner in Nico Gonzalez. But still not perfect and guilty of giving possession and fouls away in dangerous areas. A missed opportunity. 6
Nico Gonzalez This is the Gonzalez Guardiola signed - a box-to-box performance and he constantly kept the ball moving towards the dangerous Doku. He even gave some attitude back to Guardiola when substituted. 7
Omar Marmoush Always running, closing down and chasing lost causes. His harrying turned defence into attack for the first goal and he did the running so Haaland and Doku could take advantage. A self-less performance. 7
Jeremy Doku Alexander-Arnold on Sunday, Pedro Porro on Wednesday. Doku had the beating of Porro every time and got the assist for Haaland. His end product can still be better - yet he was a threat all night and is in fine form. 8
Savinho Helped create the overloads for Doku to shine while also offering a threat of his own on the right, playing a key role in Haaland's goal. The Doku-Savinho wing partnership might be the way forward now both are back fit and firing. 7
Erling Haaland Recovered from his knee injury, Haaland wasted no time in getting back to goalscoring business and could have had more. His fury at Nunes showed a player keen to make up for lost time, and his build-up play was notable, too. 8
Bernardo Silva (on 72') Helped stop the Spurs momentum. 6
Phil Foden (on 72') One good free kick that caused trouble. 6
One of his better performances of the season, making some fine stops to keep Spurs at bay.
Matheus Nunes (6/10):
Didn't particularly enjoy his battles with the tricky Odobert, though made up for those misgivings by denying Tel an almost certain goal just after the hour mark.
Abdukodir Khusanov (7/10):
A strong and stable showing at a ground where many a City defender has crumbled in the spotlight. An encouraging display from the young Uzbek.
Ruben Dias (7/10):
Proved the perfect senior partner for Khusanov, with both knowing their roles and limits.
Josko Gvardiol (6/10):
Imperious early on before Johnson and Porro drew him into higher areas and forced several attacks down his flank.
Nico Gonzalez (6/10):
Kept things ticking in midfield in a tidy showing without being too extravagant. Replaced by Bernardo for the last 25 or so minutes.
Mateo Kovacic (6/10):
The composed head who broke up play by way of tackle or cynical foul. Like Gonzalez wasn't outstanding, but he didn't really need to be.
Savinho (6/10):
Clearly has magic in his boots and was feeling himself, but ultimately didn't have much of a tangible say on proceedings. His most notable contribution was a woeful miss midway through the first half which should have given City some deserved breathing space. Given a breather for McAtee in the dying embers.
Omar Marmoush (6/10):
Popped up all over the place asking questions of Tottenham when City were in the ascendancy. Influence was greatly diminished in the second half and he was replaced by Foden.
Jeremy Doku (8/10):
The Belgian winger was energetically wasteful in his demolition of Trent Alexander-Arnold on Sunday, but was of far more use here, beating Porro before consistently finding his man and causing panic.
Erling Haaland (8/10):
Look who's back! City desperately missed their star striker in Sunday's defeat to Liverpool, and he returned in style with the all-important goal. Just the second player to score 10-plus home goals & 10-plus away goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons after, ironically, Harry Kane.
Subs & Manager
Bernardo Silva (6/10):
Came on for Gonzalez.
Phil Foden (6/10):
Replaced Marmoush.
James McAtee (N/A):
Given a late runaround in place of Savinho.
Ilkay Gundogan (N/A):
Played about two minutes at the very end on for Kovacic.
Jack Grealish (N/A):
Likewise afforded the scarcest of run-outs for a cramped-up Doku.
Pep Guardiola (7/10):
City's first-half performance was nearly perfect, though there drop-off in the second was almost inexplicable. Will be happy to simply take the points.
GK: Ederson - 8/10 Stayed switched on and alert as even though he didn't have much to do during the match, he made a very good save late in the match to keep his side in the lead.
RB: Matheus Nunes - 6.5/10 Looked shaky when defending against Odobert but kept his head well when under pressure.
CB: Abduokdir Khusanov - 8/10 Read the game exceptionally well at times. The youngster was good playing the ball out from the back but he also defended very well when called into action.
CB: Ruben Dias - 7.5/10 Formed a good partnership with Khusanov and didn't really put a foot wrong during the match.
LB: Josko Gvardiol - 7/10 A solid performance from the Croatian. Gvardiol wasn't outstanding but he was solid and kept the defence together while under pressure.
CM: Nico Gonzalez - 6.5/10 Didn't see much of the ball and didn't contribute much to the match. The Spaniard was substituted in the latter stages of the match.
CM: Mateo Kovacic - 7.5/10 Did a really good job of retaining the ball and calming others around him down when Spurs had their moments of pressure. Kovacic was good on the ball and also contributed well defensively and in the pressing department.
AM: Omar Marmoush - 6.5/10 The Egyptian's delivery from set pieces was pretty good and he looked sharp, but he didn't get involved enough to make anything significant happen.
RW: Savinho - 6/10 Had a strong first half where he looked dangerous, but in the second half he dropped off and was quite ineffective. The tricky winger missed a really good chance in the first half to double his side's lead but he scuffed the shot.
ST: Erling Haaland - 7.5/10 Took his goal well but didn't get involved much despite making some good runs through the middle of the Spurs defence.
LW: Jeremy Doku - 8.5/10 Looked extremely dangerous every single time he took the ball and ran at Porro. Doku used his pace and trickery very well and provided a great assist for Haaland also.
SUB: Bernardo Silva - N/A Didn't do much after coming onto the pitch.
SUB: Phil Foden - N/A Didn't do much after coming onto the pitch.
SUB: James McAtee - N/A Didn't do much after coming onto the pitch.
SUB: Jack Grealish - N/A Didn't do much after coming onto the pitch.
SUB: Ilkay Gundogan - N/A Didn't do much after coming onto the pitch.
Ederson-9/10: A superb performance in goal by Ederson. He made several crucial interventions, and his late save from Son preserved City’s lead.
Matheus Nunes-7/10: Offered a threat going forward in the first half, and although he struggled at times defensively, he stuck to his task well.
Abdukodir Khusanov-6.5/10: Defended well but did have a few nervy moments in possession. All told another promising performance.
Ruben Dias-6.5/10: A similar type of performance to that of Khusanov. Did his job but did have his nervy moments on the ball.
Josko Gvardiol-6.5/10: He was much better in the first half than in the second half. He made the odd error in possession but did his job, although he struggled in the second half in the face of Tottenham’s second-half onslaught.
Nico- 6.5/10: Like his team, he was good in the first half but drifted out of the game in the second half. A few tidy moments in midfield during the first half but he couldn’t dictate the game in the second as Tottenham went up a gear.
Mateo Kovacic-6/10: He was good in the first half and not so good in the second half.
Savinho-7.5/10: Another bright performance from Savinho. He needs to work on his finishing but he was a constant threat to Tottenham’s defence. But he did drift out of the game in the second half but that was more down to his team’s performance.
Omar Marmoush-5/10: Toiled away but failed to make a meaningful impact on the game before he was substituted.
Jeremy Doku-9/10: A superb performance from Doku. He was a constant threat to Spurs’ defence and set up City’s opening goal for Erling Haaland.
Erling Haaland-8/10: He scored the winner and was a constant threat to Tottenham’s defence. He had a second goal disallowed late on, but he added what his team had lacked in their last two games.
Substitutes Bernardo Silva-6/10: Came on late to give Manchester City more control of the game. But he didn’t affect proceedings all that much.
Phil Foden-6/10: Did help City take control of the games closing stages.
A lack of communication with Reis resulted in the corner which cost City the opening goal. An otherwise quiet night between the sticks.
Rico Lewis – 6.5
Not his finest afternoon, Lewis looked rather uncomfortable at times playing at right-back, with the permanent position of Lewis still a question which goes unanswered.
Vitor Reis – 7.5
Making his home debut for the club, Reis looked extremely comfortable at the black, displaying some tidy passing and doing his defensive duties when called upon.
Nathan Ake – 6
Ake was replaced at half-time after suffering an injury late into the first half.
Nico O’Reilly – 8.5 (MOTM)
Two goals for the boyhood blue in a perfect afternoon for O’Reilly, who excelled in every department once again in this competition. O’Reilly was a joy to watch for City tonight.
Ilkay Gundogan – 7
Gundogan was heavily involved in the attacks for City, particularly in the first half. A couple of guilt-edged chances went amiss, ones in which you would have expected the German to bury two years ago.
Kevin De Bruyne – 7.5
De Bruyne looked like a nightmare to deal with for the Argyle players, with the Belgian constantly finding space and feeding crosses into the box. De Bruyne eventually scored City’s third goal to top off a solid outing.
Bernardo Silva – 6.5
Similarly to Foden, Bernardo Silva had a quiet evening and was largely ineffective in the front line.
James Mcatee – 6
A quiet night for Mcatee who was replaced by Erling Haaland just before the hour mark.
Phil Foden – 6
An ineffective evening for Foden, who couldn’t find his feet in the game and was often caught in possession unusually for him. Foden was replaced by Nico after 83 minutes.
Jack Grealish – 7
Troubled the Plymouth backline several times and always looked a handful for the defenders. Standard Jack Grealish performance.
Substitutes
Ruben Dias – 6.5
Replaced the injured Nathan Ake at half-time and did his job neatly.
Erling Haaland – 7
Became a presence in the box which was missing in the first half, before turning into a playmaker and setting De Bruyne up to confirm the victory for the third goal.
Ortega: Didn't have much to do all game other than pick the ball out of his net, although there were still a few wobbles. 6
Lewis: Offered an option for the midfield and often found space on the edge of the box, albeit his finishing wasn't good enough. 6
Reis: Didn't put many feet wrong at the back, showed an authority that belied his years and was a threat from corners. 7
Ake: Looked dangerous from a couple of corners, although one of those efforts saw him pick up an injury that forced him off early. 6
O'Reilly: Took his goals well and looked better the more time he spent in the Plymouth third as City dominated possession. 7
Gundogan: Hit the post and had a few other near misses in what feels like an indictment of his season. 6
Silva: Improved in the second half, going close with one effort and showing more quality in the final third but his finishing was poor. 5
De Bruyne: He picked up an assist and nearly surprised the Plymouth keeper after a corner was cleared, but there weren't many moments of influence, albeit he scored the third late on. 7
McAtee: A few glimpses of what he can do but he never really got going without a target man to work with. 5
Grealish: He was fine, but there wasn't much more to make the difference in a game that was crying out for some individual brilliance. 6
Foden: Didn't look comfortable playing the false nine role, only starting to influence the game once Haaland came on to let him drop deeper. 5
Substitutes
Dias (for Ake, 46) A stress-free half as he controlled everything that came his way. 6
Haaland (for McAtee, 59) Instantly made a difference as he commanded the attention of defenders. 6
Had a pretty quiet afternoon, facing just one shot.
Vitor Reis (7/10):
A solid display, looking far more comfortable than in his previous FA Cup outing at Leyton Orient. Dealt with much of the visitors' aerial threat and was comfortable in possession.
Nathan Ake (5/10):
Should have commanded the area better when Plymouth struck and then his game ended prematurely with yet another injury scare as he was removed at the break.
Nico O'Reilly (8/10):
Unexpectedly took centre stage with two impressive headers, making it three goals in as many FA Cup games.
Bernardo Silva (5/10):
Gave a tired performance out on the right flank and should have buried his chance in the second half.
Rico Lewis (5/10):
Missed two sitters in quick succession as he got forward a lot, effectively playing in midfield throughout as City had to do so little defending.
Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):
The perfect game for him to show his class. Was at the heart of City's best moves and had his prints on all of the goals. Enough said.
Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):
Controlled the game from deep, benefitting from an opponent that only wanted to defend. Unlucky not to score when he struck the inside of the post.
Jack Grealish (6/10):
Hugged the touchline and orchestrated several City moves down the left but ultimately had no end product.
James McAtee (4/10):
A bad day at the office. Lost Talovyerov for the goal and didn't cause enough danger in attack as the most advanced midfielder. Couldn't complain when taken off for Haaland just before the hour mark.
Phil Foden (5/10):
Another uninspiring display although wasn't helped by the unorthodox shape of the attack. Still, he should have contributed more given the quality of the opponents.
Subs & Manager
Ruben Dias (5/10):
Gave City more authority at the back and they never looked in trouble when he was on the pitch.
Erling Haaland (6/10):
Gave the team a bigger presence in attack and a much-needed focal point. His finishing was blunt, missing two decent chances, but he made amends by setting up De Bruyne.
Nico Gonzalez (N/A):
A late addition from the bench, it going slightly better than his first Cup outing at Orient.
Pep Guardiola (5/10):
His starting line-up was strange and the decision to play no centre-forward backfired as no-one seemed sure who was supposed to be the lead man. Got away with it and corrected himself by bringing on Haaland.
Could've gone for a quick shopping trip in the first 35 miniutes as he faced zero shots on goal. Completely helpless when Talovierov placed his header in the far corner and had nothing else to do.
Rico Lewis 6
The teamsheet might've had him down as a right-back, but he attacked Plymouth's goal more often than he defended his own. Squandered two fine opportunities in the second half to put his side in the lead.
Vitor Reis 6
It's very easy to say in hindsight, but Plymouth's corner would've never arrived had Reis not needlessly cleared the ball when Ortega was ready to make an easy claim. The Brazilian nearly made amends before half time only to head wide from close range.
Nathan Ake 6
The Dutchman was commended by the crowd for keeping his head cool when dealt with Plymouth's target man Mustapha Bundu. Didn't manage to stifle the Plymouth big boys in the box for the goal, though, and was taken off at the break.
Nico O'Reilly 8
The youngster initially struggled to make the same impact as Josko Gvardiol going forward and that was epitomised by Phil Foden gesturing in his direction after a poor cross. But his response was admirable, aiming his powerful header goalwards to get his side level earning applause from Guardiola. Came up trumps again with another header to get his second of the night.
Ilkay Gundogan 7
The midfielder had the best chances to put City in front, heading straight at Conor Hazard before his first-time effort bounced back off the woodwork on the half-hour mark. Posed a real danger in the chances he created and had for himself.
Bernardo Silva 6
The Portuguese playmaker was benched in recent weeks, but he took his opportunity to win back his place - buzzing around pockets of space outside the Plymouth area and working tirelessly to win back possession. Had a great chance to make it 2-1 but somehow skewed it wide from two yards.
Kevin de Bruyne 8 (MAN OF THE MATCH)
The 33-year-old is by no means the most athletic player on the pitch anymore, but his class remains. He forced Hazard into making a fine fingertip save to deny him an equaliser, but his free-kick delivery for O'Reilly's leveller was inch-perfect. Came close to catching out Hazard with a speculative effort, which merited a goal. Finally got his just desserts with a late third.
James McAtee 6
Looked bright in the early stages and was denied what would've been a certain goal by a last-ditch challenge from Julio Pleguezuelo. He also won the free-kick that led to City's crucial goal, and the 22-year-old's efforts were recognised with a warm ovation from the fans when he came off before the hour mark.
Phil Foden 6
Playing through the middle in a false nine role, Foden was the link man as City tried to break down a stubborn Plymouth defence. Nearly put the hosts in front from a clever set-piece routine but his effort spun wide. Looked far happier in a deeper role when Haaland came on but not the best performance of his career. Assisted O'Reilly's second from the corner before getting a rest late on.
Jack Grealish 6
The winger hugged the touchline and found a decent match in Matthew Sorinola, who dealt with most of what he threw at him. Appeared eager to impress after spending some time out of the first team and improved markedly in the second half, where he posed a genuine threat.
Substitutes
Ruben Dias (on 46') 6
Calm and collected at the back, the centre-back didn't put a foot wrong as many would expect.
Erling Haaland (on 59') 7
His first touch after coming on should've resulted in a goal, but the Norwegian blazed over. Didn't have much luck in front of goal, but provided a rare assist for De Bruyne.
Stefan Ortega-6/10: Had very little to do all game.
Rico Lewis-7/10: Played well as he drifted into midfield from right-back. If he had his shooting boots on he may have gotten a better rating. But he did play well over the 90 minutes.
Vitor Reis-7.5/10: Played well at centre-back, especially in possession. A promising display from the Brazilian defender.
Nathan Ake-6/10: Came off injured once again. He defended well when needed but serious questions need to be asked about his future at Manchester City based on his constant injury issues.
Nico O’Reilly-9/10: A superb performance from O’Reilly. Scored a brace and was good in possession. He needs to play more often.
Ilkay Gundogan-7/10: One of Gundogan’s better performances for some time. He hit the bar and should’ve had an assist as well. But he played well in midfield in a game that suited him.
Bernardo-6.5/10: Played on the right wing and never stopped working for his team. If his finishing was better he’d have gotten a higher rating.
Kevin De Bruyne-8/10: Picked up a goal and an assist in a good display from De Bruyne.
James McAtee-5/10: A disappointing performance from McAtee. He was given the opportunity to impress and couldn’t get into the game before he was substituted.
Phil Foden-6/10: Picked up an assist for Nico O’Reilly’s second goal for the game, but outside of that, he couldn’t affect the game he would’ve liked.
Jack Grealish-7.5/10: He was Manchester City’s most dangerous attacking player in the second half. A good performance from Grealish.
Substitutes
Ruben Dias-6/10: Did what he had to do after he replaced Nathan Ake at halftime.
Erling Haaland-6.5/10: Picked up an assist after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Kevin De Bruyne’s desire to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup could see the Manchester City talisman accept a salary cut and extend his stay at the Etihad, according to reports.
According to the information of Fabrizio Romano, offering a widespread update on numerous players, a transfer for goalkeeper Ederson could be revived in the summer, and such a switch is a ‘serious possibility being discussed’ following Saudi Arabian interest last summer.
On the subject of John Stones, it is stressed that a sale by Manchester City is not guaranteed or decided at all so far, but talks will take place with the England international’s representatives to understand his intentions.
Another name with an uncertain future is Matheus Nunes, who Fabrizio Romano says has no guarantee of staying at Manchester City and could leave in the coming months in case of a ‘good proposal’ brought by agent Jorge Mendes in the summer transfer window.
Bernardo Silva has been linked with an exit from the Etihad for several consecutive seasons, and Romano now says that he has once again a candidate to leave the club at the end of the season, with the aforementioned super agent due to meet with City in the coming weeks.
Feb 27 2025, 06:51 AM
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