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Sport Nation
Manchester City and Villa reach FA Cup semi-finals
AP • March 31st, 2025 8:15 am
Marcus Rashford rolls in the penalty that put Aston Villa 2-0 up at Preston North End | Photo: AP
On a weekend when all four away teams progressed in the FA Cup quarter-finals Manchester City won 2-1 at Bournemouth despite Erling Haaland failing from the penalty spot and Aston Villa won 3-0 at second tier Preston North End.
Haaland made up for his miss by later scoring City's equaliser early in Sunday's second half but hobbled off 12 minutes later with a left ankle injury,.
Omar Marmoush came on as his replacement and, within two minutes, scored the goal that ensured City reached the cup's last four four for a record-extending seventh straight season.
Already out of the Champions League and down in fifth place — 22 points behind leaders Liverpool — in an improbably poor Premier League title defence, City can partly rescue their season by winning the FA Cup for an eighth time, and a third in Pep Guardiola's tenure.
City will face Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium next month. On the same weekend Aston Villa will meet Crystal Palace there. Forest and Palace won their quarter-finals on Saturday knocking out Brighton - on penalties - and Fulham.
Bournemouth's Kepa Arrizabalaga dives to keep out a penalty from Manchester City's Erling Haaland | Photo: AP
Of the quartet only City have won a trophy this century.
Haaland squandered a great chance to put City ahead when his low 14th-minute penalty was saved by Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, and then lifted a shot over the bar in the 16th when played clean through.
The Norway striker delivered a far-post finish to equalise from a cross by substitute Nico O'Reilly, only to see his match end early when Bournemouth right back Lewis Cook landed awkwardly on Haaland's trailing ankle in a 56th-minute tackle.
Marmoush made an instant impact, with fellow sub O'Reilly again the creator after capitalising on a slip from Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo. The Egypt forward's shot went under the body of Arrizabalaga.
Marcus Rashford scored his first goals for Villa to help his new team reach the FA Cup semis for the first time since 2015.
Rashford has reignited his career at Villa since joining on loan from Manchester United last month and has just got back in the England squad, starting the recent World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
The striker tapped home Lucas Digne's cross for the opener at Deepdale in the 58th minute and then converted a penalty in the 63rd after Morgan Rogers was fouled. Jacob Ramsey wrapped up a comfortable victory for Villa in the 71st.
"It's a great feeling," Rashford said. "I feel like I've been getting fitter and playing better football since I've been here.
"I missed a lot of football before joining up with (Villa). My body feels good and I'm enjoying my football for now."
Villa — without a trophy since capturing the English League Cup in 1996 — have won the FA Cup seven times but not since 1957. In the 2015 final, they lost 4-0 to Arsenal.
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