Matthew Wilkinson

Sun 2 March 2025 14:39, UK

Nico O’Reilly was the hero of the day on Saturday (1 March) for Man City as they progressed into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after defeating Plymouth Argyle.

The 19-year-old scored a brace against Plymouth as Pep Guardiola’s side came from behind to win 3-1.

Kevin De Bruyne rounded out the result and guaranteed the win for the Premier League side in the 90th minute of the game.

The victory puts City in the final eight of the competition, with the FA Cup being their only chance of winning any silverware this season.

City have won 15 consecutive games in the FA Cup since losing against Middlesbrough in 2015, which is the longest run since Liverpool’s in 1955 that lasted 16 games.

Guardiola’s men now head into a crucial Premier League fixture in the face for top four as they play Nottingham Forest on Saturday (8 March).

Nico O’Reilly added his name to the history books

O’Reilly became City’s youngest player to score a brace for Man City in all competitions since Phil Foden, adding his name to the history books for the club.

This was O’Reilly’s third goal in the competition this season and his fourth and fifth of the season after finding the back of the net twice in the Premier League 2.

O’Reilly took to Instagram to celebrate the result as he said, “Buzzing with the win and the 2 goals.”

Man City almost lost Nico O’Reilly in January

It was an impressive individual performance for the teenager, but the defending Premier League champions almost lost out on him in the January transfer window.

Football Insider revealed that City turned down an approach from Chelsea at the turn of the year, with Guardiola opting to keep hold of the youngster.

Financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider it would have cost Chelea at least £40million to secure his services.

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