Pep Guardiola rolled the dice at half-time by taking Abdukodir Khusanov off in place of Nico O’Reilly and that one substitution turned the game on its head as Manchester City beat AFC Bournemouth 2-1 in the FA Cup quarter-final.
O’Reilly, who has been deployed as a left-back throughout the competition was tasked to play in the same position and he bossed proceedings, assisting both of Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush’s goals.
In what was a must-win game for Manchester City against Bournemouth as the FA Cup is their only chance of winning a trophy this season, it was one of their academy graduates who stepped up to the plate the most.
Even defensively, Nico O’Reilly was rock-solid, as was exemplified when he came up against the in-form Antoine Semenyo. Pep Guardiola described O’Reilly as “clever” and he certainly is, being able to look the part as a left-back despite being a number 10 by trade.
Guardiola thinks O’Reilly can play in defensive midfield as well, a position where he has trialled the Englishman on a few instances this campaign already.
Photo by Harry Murphy - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by Harry Murphy – Danehouse/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola pushed Nico O’Reilly to celebrate with Man City fans vs Bournemouth
Even during pre-season, Pep Guardiola highlighted O’Reilly’s physicality making him different to other youngsters from Manchester City’s academy such as Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb in recent years and that was on show against Bournemouth as he was dominant in the tackle and carried the ball with ease.
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Despite just being 19, the highly-rated midfielder can already go toe-to-toe with seasoned professionals, which makes him such a unique asset for the Catalan to depend upon.
O’Reilly revealed he’s a boyhood Manchester City fan and for him to be banked upon in trying times such as when his side were 1-0 down in a knockout game at half-time must feel surreal.
After Manchester City’s win against Bournemouth, journalist Simon Bajkowski shared footage of Pep Guardiola pushing O’Reilly to celebrate with the fans.
Guardiola shared a warm embrace with the City technician before the man himself clapped the supporters, who loudly chanted his name repeatedly.
Pep Guardiola confirmed whether Nico O’Reilly will play in FA Cup semi-final
O’Reilly was all smiles to hear the Manchester City fans sing his name and Pep Guardiola highlighting his cracking display.
The Sky Blues have had a disappointing campaign but stories such as the versatile powerhouse’s are always a welcome storyline for any set of supporters.
After shining against Bournemouth, Pep Guardiola also confirmed that O’Reilly will play against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final.
“He’s going to play in the semi-final for sure!”
Guardiola promised City would win the FA Cup but for his vow to come true, O’Reilly will have to produce a similar display to the one he did on Sunday.