Marmoush reigns supreme as Man City fight back at Newcastle to reach FA Cup quarter-finals | OneFootball

Manchester City fought back from an early deficit to beat Newcastle United 3-1 at St James’ Park and book a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Both teams had limited time to recover and prepare for this fixture due to their midweek Premier League duties.

Unfazed by Jacob Ramsey’s first-half expulsion, Newcastle beat Manchester United 2-1 on home turf, with second-half substitute William Osula scoring a stunning last-gasp winner.

Man City endured contrasting fortunes, as they dropped the lead twice in a heart-wrenching 2-2 home draw against Nottingham Forest, handing table-topping Arsenal a potentially decisive title boost.

With the Champions League round of 16 around the corner, both managers chose to mix their starting line-ups, though it’s fair to say that Eddie Howe fielded a more experienced and battle-ready XI.

According to Manchester Evening News, Pep Guardiola left star striker Erling Braut Haaland out of the matchday squad as a precaution, hoping to have his talisman fit for the upcoming showdown against Real Madrid.

However, Guardiola’s decision to bench several other first-team stalwarts fuelled Newcastle’s confidence and allowed the home side to take an early control of proceedings.

Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw fired warning shots in the opening 15 minutes, as the Magpies flew out of the traps, seeking a quick opener.

After squandering a couple of promising chances, the hosts broke the deadlock in the 18th minute. Sandro Tonali slipped the ball through to Harvey Barnes, who finished with aplomb from close range to give Newcastle the lead.

Barnes’ goal served as a wake-up call for the Cityzens, who responded by ramping up the intensity and probing Newcastle’s defence with quick passing and high pressing, but without creating many scoring opportunities.

When it looked like the hosts would endure the siege, City found the equaliser on the stroke of half-time, as Jeremy Doku teed up Savinho with a defence-splitting pass, with the Brazilian winger tapping the ball into an empty net.

Man City started the second half in the same vein, and it took them just two minutes after the break to turn the game on its head. Guardiola’s team scored two identical goals.

This time, Matheus Nunes provided the assist, while Omar Marmoush rattled the back of the net from a point-blank range to complete the turnaround, netting only his fifth goal of the season.

Newcastle had a massive chance to restore parity shortly after Marmoush’s strike, but Joe Willock blazed his shot well over the top after being left unmarked inside the box.

Two colossal opportunities for Man City went begging around the hour mark, as Lewis Hall made a super goal-line clearance to deny Tijjani Reijnders before Aaron Ramsdale thwarted Nico O’Reilly’s header on the far post.

Howe’s triple change failed to shift the momentum, as Marmoush launched a rocket missile from the edge of the box to complete his brace and put clear daylight between the sides.

Marmoush’s second goal clipped the Magpies’ wings and silenced the home crowd, allowing Man City to control the remainder of the match with relative ease and close out their third victory over this opposition in 2026.

This defeat provided Newcastle with a bitter prelude to their mouth-watering clash against Barcelona on Tuesday, further derailing St James’ Park’s fortress status.

Meanwhile, Guardiola, who recently hinted at staying at the Etihad Stadium next season (via ESPN), has received a much-needed confidence boost ahead of Man City’s trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, the Spaniard will still be waiting for the update on Haaland’s fitness with bated breath, as the Cityzens seek vengeance for a disappointing elimination at this stage last season.