Plymouth Argyle were in dreamland for a few minutes on Saturday as they scored with their first (and only) shot of the game, before eventually falling to mighty Manchester City 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
MORE - FA Cup schedule & results
Maksym Talovierov put the Pilgrims ahead when he headed home Matthew Sorinola’s corner kick in the 38th minute, by which point Manchester City had already attempted eight shots. As it turned out, corners were the name of the game at Etihad Stadium. Nico O’Reilly, who started at left back in place of Josko Gvardiol, made it 1-1 by finishing Kevin De Bruyne’s corner kick in first-half stoppage time, and the 19-year-old did exactly the same when Phil Foden served one up to the back post in the 76th.
It was no small wonder that Man City weren’t three or four (or five) goals ahead by the time Erling Haaland found De Bruyne with a simple pass into the six-yard box for goal no. 3, but last season’s runners-up got there in the end.
City join Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Preston North End and Bournemouth as the first five sides into the quarterfinals, with the draw for the last eight to be held on Sunday at 1:30 pm ET, following the conclusion of Manchester United vs Fulham.
Player ratings - Manchester City vs Plymouth
What’s next?
- Hull City vs Plymouth Argyle — Tuesday (2:45 pm ET)
- Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City — Saturday (7:30 am ET)
Manchester City vs Plymouth live updated - by Andy Edwards
Manchester City vs Plymouth live score: 3-1
Goalscorers: Maksym Talovierov (38'), Nico O’Reilly (45'+1, 76'), Kevin De Bruyne (90')
GOAL! Man City 3-1 Plymouth: Haaland sets up De Bruyne for a change (90')
Not that a comeback looked likely, but the Plymouth dream is now all but officially dead.
GOAL! Man City 2-1 Plymouth: O’Reilly heads another corner home to take the lead (76')
NICO O'REILLY WITH HIS SECOND OF THE GAME FOR CITY TO GIVE THEM THE LEAD ‼️ pic.twitter.com/5aXQJVDmXX
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 1, 2025
GOAL! Man City 1-1 Plymouth: O’Reilly heads the hosts level right before halftime (45'+1)
Well, that didn’t last long.
GOAL! Man City 0-1 Plymouth: Talovierov scores with his side’s first shot of the game (38')
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD OVER MAN CITY AT THE ETIHAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/Rw0haO2D2k
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 1, 2025
Manchester City starting lineup
Ortega - Lewis, Reis, Ake, O’Reilly - Gundogan, Silva, De Bruyne - McAtee, Grealish, Foden
Plymouth Argyle starting lineup
Hazard - Talovierov, Pleguezuelo, Katic - Mumba, Gyabi, Boateng, Ogbeta - Sorinola, Wright, Bundu
How to watch Manchester City vs Plymouth live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 12:45pm ET Saturday
Venue: Etihad Stadium — Manchester
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
City is trying to win an eighth FA Cup and avoid a first season with a tournament win in nearly a decade, having been bounced from the Champions League and League Cup while also being well off the Premier League title pace (City did win the Community Shield in August).
Plymouth Argyle, meanwhile, are in the fifth round of the FA Cup despite sitting three points off safety in the Championship. They knocked off Liverpool in the fourth round, stunning the tournament and reaching their latest stage since a 2006-07 quarterfinal run.
The Pilgrims have twice reached the semifinal stage of the FA Cup are yet to reach a final in their history. Beating City and Liverpool in the same year would be a historic run for the club.
Manchester City team news, focus
OUT: John Stones (thigh), Rodri (torn ACL - MORE), Manuel Akanji (muscular), Manuel Akanji (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Oscar Bobb (fitness)
Plymouth Argyle team news, focus
OUT: Ryan Hardie (back), Muhamed Tijani (hamstring)
Manchester City vs Plymouth prediction
It would be pretty brave to predict a Plymouth win at the Etihad Stadium. We’re not feeling so brave. Man City 3-0 Plymouth Argyle.
