LONDON (AP) — The FA Cup could yet be a way for Manchester City to finish a disappointing season with a trophy.
City needed two goals from teenager Nico O’Reilly to come from behind and beat second-division side Plymouth Argyle 3-1 on Saturday to reach the quarterfinals of the only competition it still has a chance to win.
An eventful day in the competition also saw two notable red cards, a seven-minute VAR check, a handshake snub and a tense penalty shootout as Crystal Palace, Preston and Bournemouth also advanced.
The biggest talking point came in the early game where Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off for a wildly reckless challenge that left Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta needing 25 stitches on a cut to his ear.
Wolves' star forward Matheus Cunha was then also sent off in the final minute of extra time against Bournemouth for headbutting an opponent — having earlier scored a superb equalizer — before his team went on to lose on penalties.
City's win was relatively routine in contrast, although Pep Guardiola's team had to wait until the 75th minute to find a winner.
O'Reilly was on hand to head in a corner and Kevin De Bruyne then added the third goal in the 90th after being teed up by Erling Haaland, who had come on as a substitute when the score was still 1-1.
“It’s an amazing feeling to score, especially at a club like this, the team I grew up playing for," the 19-year-old O'Reilly said.
Plymouth had taken the lead through Maksym Talovierov in the 38th as City looked in danger of another embarrassing defeat in a season that has already seen it exit the English League Cup and the Champions League while trailing Premier League leader Liverpool by 20 points.
But O'Reilly leveled just before halftime with another header after a delivery from De Bruyne.
‘Most reckless challenge’
Palace also won 3-1 against 10-man Millwall after Roberts was sent off in the eighth minute for kicking Mateta in the face.
Roberts' wild attempt to make a clearance led to Mateta having to be carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital with a head injury, with Palace chairman Steve Parish describing it as "the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”
Mateta remained on the ground for several minutes receiving medical treatment before he was fitted with a neck brace and carried off the field toward an ambulance. Palace said Saturday evening that the forward had been released from the hospital after getting “25 stitches to a severe laceration to his left ear.”
Palace took a 2-0 lead through an own goal by Japhet Tanganga and an easy tap-in from Daniel Munoz, but Millwall got back in the game when Wes Harding scored just before halftime. That came in the 14th minute of injury time after the lengthy stoppage to treat Mateta.
Striker Eddie Nketiah, who came on for Mateta, added the third with a looping header in the 81st to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Penalties, VAR and red card
In Bournemouth, Cunha went from scoring with a spectacular long-range strike to being sent off for getting involved in a scuffle with Milos Kerkez where he first pushed, then kicked, and finally headbutted his opponent.
After a 1-1 draw, the penalty shootout also had its share of drama as Wolves had a chance to win it after goalkeeper Sam Johnstone saved Bournemouth’s fourth spot kick from Dean Huijsen. But Matt Doherty dragged his penalty wide, and Boubacar Traore also missed for Wolves as his effort hit the crossbar before bouncing off goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Luis Sinisterra converted the decisive spot kick for Bournemouth.
Cunha, Wolves' leading scorer, would certainly have been among his team's penalty takers had he still been on the field. He had earlier equalized with a long-range strike that looped into the top of the net in the 60th minute to cancel out the first-half opener from Evanilson.
Bournemouth thought it had taken a 2-0 lead when Kerkez met a corner with a header that came off Huijsen. But after a lengthy VAR check, Huijsen was ruled offside.
Osmajic at center of Preston win
Preston also reached the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Burnley. It was a rematch of their meeting two weeks ago in the English second division, when Burnely's Hannibal Mejbri accused Preston's Milutin Osmajic of racially abusing him during the match.
Saturday's game began with Burnley's players refusing to shake hands with Osmajic, but the Montenegro international responded by scoring the second goal just before halftime and then cupped his hands to his ears toward the visiting fans.
Robbie Brady had opened the scoring by curling home a superb free kick in the 31st minute and Will Keane added the third in the 74th.
Manchester City hosted Championship team Plymouth Argyle later Saturday. ___
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