No Haaland? Man City demonstrates resilience with Marmoush and others.
NEWCASTLE, England — Manchester City managed well without Erling Haaland.
Pep Guardiola made several adjustments for the FA Cup fifth round match against Newcastle United, including leaving his prolific Norwegian forward at home, yet still secured a 3-1 victory.
City had to recover from an early deficit to secure their spot in the quarterfinals for the eighth consecutive year, achieving this with two goals from Haaland’s substitute, Omar Marmoush, along with another from Savinho. Guardiola’s significantly altered lineup initially struggled to handle Newcastle’s intensity for the first 30 minutes, but the Brazilian’s equalizer just before halftime changed the momentum of the match.
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City has now triumphed in 19 of their last 21 FA Cup matches, with their only two losses during this stretch occurring in the finals of 2024 and 2025. Observing the capabilities of their squad in performances like this, it would be unwise to bet against them reaching Wembley for a third consecutive season.
“Aside from the first 15 or 20 minutes, which is typical against Newcastle, we could not control, but after that, we were incredible,” Guardiola stated.
“I am very satisfied with our performance, both offensively and defensively. It was top-notch.
“Eight consecutive appearances in the quarterfinals.
“We have been consistently there for many years, and that is commendable. I am truly pleased because we were disappointed with our game against Nottingham Forest. We will be present in the [FA Cup] draw on Monday.”
Guardiola made 10 changes from the squad that drew 2-2 against Forest in the title race on Wednesday, with only right back Matheus Nunes retaining his position.
However, do not suggest to the City manager that he is indifferent towards the FA Cup.
His passionate objections to one of referee Sam Barrott’s decisions in the second half nearly resulted in him damaging his own (likely very expensive) coat. Furthermore, when Marmoush netted the third goal with a superb strike from outside the box, he celebrated so exuberantly that he felt compelled to apologize to fourth official Lewis Smith.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, sitting on the bench as a backup to James Trafford, did not appear as remorseful for sprinting the length of the touchline to congratulate the Egyptian forward.
Marmoush enjoys facing Newcastle. His two goals in this match marked his sixth and seventh against Eddie Howe’s team, who are likely weary of his presence. Marmoush’s initial goals in English football came in a hat trick against Newcastle a year ago, following his £60 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025.
He added another two in the Carabao Cup semifinal second leg in February, and his two goals here — one a relatively straightforward finish and the other a powerful shot from 20 yards — eliminated Newcastle from yet another cup competition.
Half of Marmoush’s 14 goals for City have been scored against Newcastle. He maintains an average of a goal every 43 minutes. Substituted after 73 minutes, he received a warm embrace from Guardiola before taking his place on the bench.
“I had the impression that he has scored many times against them,” Guardiola remarked.
“He is an exceptional striker, and his finishing, particularly his second goal and our third, is his greatest asset. He needs to enhance his play in tight spaces and his first touch, but he earned it.”
The last time Guardiola made such extensive changes, against Bayer Leverkusen in November, it resulted in a significant setback as City lost 2-0. He acknowledged that he had erred in his team selection then. He took a gamble again against Newcastle, and it proved successful.
“It was a risk if we didn’t win,” Guardiola noted.
“I understand what the reaction would have been [similar to that with Leverkusen]. From my experience, when we compete in all tournaments, we must do it.
“If we lose, we lose, and Newcastle moves on to the next round. But everyone needed to participate.
“Sometimes you don’t allow them to play many minutes, and that creates a lingering feeling. That’s why it’s rewarding to be in competitions, as it allows them to be involved.”
With players like Nico González, Jérémy Doku, John Stones, and Nathan Aké returning from injury, it highlights the depth of City’s squad that they could make more alterations for a match against UEFA Champions League side Newcastle than Arsenal did for their cup match against League One team Mansfield Town earlier in the day.
This means City heads to Real Madrid this week with key players rested and fringe players brimming with confidence.
Haaland, Marc Guéhi, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Rodri — all rested for the night — are expected to return to the starting lineup at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, while Marmoush will also be vying for a starting position.
Throughout the season, Guardiola has expressed that as March arrives, he wants his team to be “alive” in four competitions and have a squad that is largely fit and in form.
As the season approaches its conclusion, he has achieved his goal.
