NEWCASTLE, England — Manchester City proved they could thrive without their star striker Erling Haaland, securing a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Coach Pep Guardiola made several changes to his lineup, resting Haaland and still managing to earn a spot in the quarterfinals for the eighth consecutive year. After falling behind early, City responded impressively, with Omar Marmoush scoring twice and Savinho adding another. The team initially struggled against Newcastle’s intensity, but Marmoush’s equalizer just before halftime turned the tide.
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Manchester City has won 19 of their last 21 FA Cup matches, with their only losses occurring in the finals of 2024 and 2025. Given the squad’s depth, it’s hard to bet against them making another run to Wembley.
“Besides the first 15 or 20 minutes, which is typical against Newcastle, we were incredible afterwards,” Guardiola stated.
“I’m really pleased with our performance, both offensively and defensively. It’s top-notch.”
“Reaching the quarterfinals for the eighth consecutive time is a fantastic achievement. We’ve been here for many years, and I’m truly pleased because we were disappointed in our last match against Nottingham Forest. I look forward to the draw on Monday.”
Guardiola made 10 changes from the team that drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest earlier in the week, with only right back Matheus Nunes retained.
However, Guardiola demonstrated his passion for the FA Cup, fervently disputing a decision by referee Sam Barrott in the second half and nearly damaging his coat in the process. When Marmoush scored the third goal with a remarkable strike from outside the box, Guardiola celebrated wildly, even apologizing to fourth official Lewis Smith for his exuberance.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, who served as backup to James Trafford, also seemed unbothered as he sprinted down the touchline to celebrate with the Egyptian forward.
Marmoush has a knack for performing against Newcastle, scoring his sixth and seventh goals against them. His first English goals were a hat trick against Newcastle a year prior following his £60 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025.
He added two more in the Carabao Cup semifinal in February, and his latest two against Newcastle—one a straightforward finish and the other a powerful strike from 20 yards—eliminated Newcastle from another cup.
Marmoush’s impressive record against Newcastle includes half of his 14 goals for City. He averages a goal every 43 minutes and received a warm hug from Guardiola after being substituted in the 73rd minute.
“I had the feeling he scored a lot against them,” Guardiola remarked.
“He’s a top striker, and his finishing—especially on his second goal and our third—is exceptional. He still needs to improve in tight spaces and his first touch, but he absolutely deserves the accolades.”
The last time Guardiola made such significant changes, against Bayer Leverkusen, it ended poorly with a 2-0 loss. He acknowledged his misjudgment back then, but this time, his decisions paid off against Newcastle.
“It was a gamble if we hadn’t won,” Guardiola admitted.
“I know what the reaction would have been, similar to the loss against Leverkusen. Based on my experience with competing in various tournaments, we need to make changes.”
“If we lose, we lose, and Newcastle would move on. But every player needed minutes. It’s vital for them to be involved.”
With players like Nico González, Jérémy Doku, John Stones, and Nathan Aké returning from injury, it’s a testament to the strength of City’s squad that they could make more alterations for a match against UEFA Champions League contender Newcastle than Arsenal did for their earlier cup match against League One side Mansfield Town .
This victory sets City up for their upcoming match against Real Madrid with key players rested and the fringe players brimming with confidence.
Haaland, along with Marc Guéhi, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Rodri—all rested on this occasion—are expected to return to the starting XI at Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, while Marmoush will also be vying for a spot in the lineup.
Throughout the season, Guardiola has emphasized his goal for March: to keep his team “alive” in four competitions with a squad that is fit and in form.
As the season approaches its climax, he seems to have achieved that objective.