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Haaland and Rashford Shine as City and Villa Overcome Tough Challenges to Reach Wembley
Manchester City and Aston Villa secured their spots in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday after hard-fought victories in their respective matches.
Manchester City had to come from behind to defeat Bournemouth 2-1 in an exciting quarterfinal clash. The home team took the lead in the 21st minute when Brazilian forward Evanilson found the back of the net.
City had a chance to take the lead earlier, but Bournemouth’s goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, saved a penalty from Erling Haaland. However, the Norwegian striker redeemed himself just four minutes into the second half. City took advantage of a quick counterattack, and substitute Nico O’Reilly provided the assist for Haaland to equalize.
O’Reilly was instrumental again in the 63rd minute when he set up Omar Marmoush, who had just come on as a substitute for Haaland. Marmoush wasted no time and scored with his first touch, putting City ahead 2-1.
City dominated the second half and nearly added a third goal, but Ilkay Gundogan’s powerful shot hit the post in the final moments of the game. Despite the missed chance, City held on to secure the win and book their place in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa faced a tough challenge against Preston North End, a team from the Championship. The lower-league side put up a strong fight, but Villa’s quality ultimately made the difference.
Marcus Rashford was the star of the match, scoring twice to guide Villa to victory. He opened the scoring in the 58th minute, converting a cross from Lucas Digne. Just five minutes later, Rashford calmly slotted home a penalty after Morgan Rogers was fouled in the box.
Digne played a crucial role once again, delivering a perfect assist for Jacob Ramsey, who scored Villa’s third goal in the 71st minute. That goal sealed the win and ensured Villa’s place in the FA Cup semifinals.
The other two teams that reached the semifinals were Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, who won their quarterfinal matches on Saturday.
The semifinal draw took place immediately after Manchester City’s win. Pep Guardiola’s side will face Nottingham Forest, while Aston Villa will go up against Crystal Palace. The winners of these matches will advance to the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
With Manchester City and Aston Villa joining Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in the final four, the competition is set for an exciting finish. Fans can look forward to intense battles as the teams fight for a place in the FA Cup final.