After a loss at Bournemouth began Manchester City's run of poor form this season, City manager Pep Guardiola hopes Sunday's [2-1 FA Cup quarter-final comeback win](https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/0330/1504842-city-reel-in-bournemouth-to-secure-cup-semi-final-spot/) against the same opponents will help his team rediscover the "soul" that they have lacked in recent months.
Second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush helped City reach the FA Cup semi-finals for a record seventh time in a row and make amends for the 2-1 Premier League defeat they suffered at Bournemouth in November.
That loss, which ended City's 32-game unbeaten run in the competition, was the first of four straight league defeats for the defending champions.
City won only one of their next eight games in the competition, effectively ending their hopes of capturing a fifth league title in a row.
> "What we missed this season was heart, soul; the desire from how we'd done it for many, many years."
"We talked a lot about the game we lost deservedly here against Bournemouth. That was when we started to go in our down-road this season," Guardiola said.
"This season we have played more games like the one against Bournemouth, which is why we have not deserved more. The most important thing today was that the players have learned the lesson.
"I told them we cannot accept a performance like the one here in the league when people have travelled down for five hours. What we missed this season was heart, soul; the desire from how we'd done it for many, many years."
Guardiola said City started to make "incredible mistakes" since the loss at Bournemouth, as they were eliminated from the Champions League in February after back-to-back losses to Real Madrid.
City face a rematch against Forest in the Cup on 26/27 April while Aston Villa will take on Crystal Palace in the other semi-final.
Guardiola's side are fifth in the Premier League with only one win in the last four league matches, and suffered their first loss to Nottingham Forest since 2009 in a 1-0 away defeat earlier this month.
"As a team we didn’t have heart. That’s the most important thing we have to recover at the end of the season and in the future.
"I adore to play like today... A few weeks ago at Nottingham Forest, did the team play like today? No. Hopefully at the end (of the season) we can change, learn and prepare for next season."
Asked why the heart had been missing from his side this season, Guardiola added: "It was many things, many things. I will write it in my memoirs. A lot. Not just one.
"And put Pep first on the list. I should have taken decisions I didn't take in the right moment. In my memoirs, If it was just one reason it would be easy."
Erling Haaland has a penalty saved by Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga
Haaland was guilty of an extraordinary six-minute hat-trick of misses; a close-range header, a penalty and a one-on-one, before Evanilson poked Bournemouth in front from Justin Kluivert’s pull-back.
Half-time substitute Nico O’Reilly helped turn the game with assists for both Haaland and Marmoush, with Guardiola joking the 20-year-old is definitely going to play at Wembley.
"Against Plymouth scored two goals, today two assists, so in the semi-finals he is going to play," he said.
Guardiola was unable to give an update on Haaland, who limped off after colliding with Lewis Cook and an advertising hoarding.
Bournemouth looked spent, a long season of punching above their weight perhaps finally catching up with them.
That their last shot on target came in the 38th minute told its own story.
"I think we played the game we wanted to play in the first half but we couldn’t maintain the intensity in the second half," Cherries boss Andoni Iraola said.
"We were not as aggressive as in the first half and if we don’t press we don’t win those duels. Very happy with the first half but we didn’t win so it is not enough."