Keith Hackett

Mon 3 March 2025 12:40, UK

Plymouth Argyle can feel hard done by that Man City were allowed to have their second goal stand during the FA Cup clash between the two sides, Keith Hackett has said.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the goal should have been ruled out for a push by scorer Nico O’Reilly on Jordan Houghton.

Pep Guardiola‘s side kept their hopes of silverware for this season alive with a 3-1 victory over the Championship struggles at the Etihad on Saturday evening (1 March).

O’Reilly proved to be the hero for Man City after the 19-year-old headed in their first and second goals from set-pieces, to cancel out Maksym Talovierov’s opener.

However, the young full-back was seemingly somewhat fortunate to see his second goal of the game count for the current Premier League champions.

Plymouth complaints ignored at the Etihad

O’Reilly has taken plenty of plaudits from his Man City teammates after his match-winning contribution at the weekend.

But after the defender had headed in his second goal from a corner, Plymouth could be seen arguing with referee Craig Pawson.

There were suggestions the visitors felt that the Man City man pushed Jordan Houghton to the ground in order to get to the ball.

Although VAR was in use for the match, it did not overturn the decision to award that goal to the current Premier League champions.

Hackett though, believes that there was enough in that clash between O’Reilly and Houghton, for Plymouth to feel aggrieved that the goal was not overturned.

Keith Hackett assesses controversial Man City goal

Speaking to Football Insider about whether that goal should have been allowed to stand for the hosts, the former referee said:

“Well there’s a definite push isn’t there, no question. This whole scenario of holding and pulling in the penalty area we see every week, and we see every week it going unpunished.

“That Plymouth player has been pushed, there’s no question, and the goal should have been disallowed.

“We’ve got a referee here, we’ve got VAR here, they’ve not even looked at it, I don’t think they’ve even seen it. I think they ignore pushing in the penalty area.

“So I think that when a team from the lower level comes into the Premier League they’ve just got to toughen up, and expect it.

“I think down in the Championship and the Football League, often these incidents are getting penalised but coming to the PGMOL and the Premier League Select Group 1, blocking, holding, pushing are all scenarios.

“So I think Man City got away with it. I think Plymouth have a right to be aggrieved that a pushing offence went unpunished in the lead-up to that goal.”

Kevin De Bruyne then tapped in late on to secure the win for Guardiola’s side, who will not face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the quarter finals of the competition at the end of March.