Marmoush double lifts City past Newcastle and into FA Cup quarter-finals
LONDON: Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush struck twice as Pep Guardiola’s side hit back from a goal down to win 3-1 away to Newcastle and reach the FA Cup quarter‑finals for the eighth consecutive season.
Newcastle set off to a bright start and Harvey Barnes ran onto a through ball before firing into the far corner in the 18th minute to give the hosts the lead.
Seven-times FA Cup winners City then flexed their muscles and Savinho equalised in the 39th minute when Jeremy Doku’s ball behind the defence bounced off the Brazilian’s leg and in.
Marmoush scored the first of his two goals — and seventh against Newcastle — in the 47th when Matheus Nunes found him unmarked with a low ball across the face of goal and the Egypt forward fired into the roof of the net.
Marmoush completed his double in the 65th minute in similar fashion, latching onto a Nunes cross and striking a fierce shot.
Chelsea progressed after Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro struck in extra time to secure a nervy 4–2 win over second‑tier Wrexham.
Garnacho volleyed home from close range in the 97th minute with such force that the ball ricocheted off the back stanchion to give Chelsea the lead for the first time on the night.
Wrexham — who lost George Dobson to a 93rd-minute red card — thought they had equalised deep into added time in the extra period when Lewis Brunt headed home but he was offside.
Joao Pedro sealed Chelsea’s hard-fought win with a close-range shot in the 125th minute.
Sam Smith had put the Championship side ahead in the 18th when he sprinted onto Callum Doyle’s long pass, took a touch and fired past Robert Sanchez. Chelsea equalised with a huge slice of luck when George Thomason’s attempt to clear Garnacho’s shot struck goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and rolled in.
Wrexham went back in front after 78 minutes when Doyle diverted the ball past Sanchez after Ryan Longman fired it back into the area from a corner. But Josh Acheampong equalised soon after with a blistering shot into the roof of the net after Dobson slipped, sending the game into extra time.
Arsenal edged past spirited third-tier Mansfield Town 2-1, with Eberechi Eze’s thunderbolt sending the Premier League leaders into the quarter-finals.
Noni Madueke gave Arsenal the lead going into halftime at Field Mill but Will Evans equalised for Nigel Clough’s Mansfield before Eze scored in the 66th minute to ensure the top-flight side progressed to the last eight.
Mikel Arteta named a much-changed side, starting teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, as Arsenal became the first Premier League side to start a competitive game with two players aged 16 or under in any competition.
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