Omar Marmoush reaction speaks volumes as Man City floor Newcastle

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• Omar Marmoush

Manchester City came back to beat Newcastle 3-1 in the FA Cup despite 10 changes from Pep Guardiola as the fans had another top night at St James' Park

Omar Marmoush punched the air, roaring his delight. Ten metres away in the Manchester City dugout, Pep Guardiola had his hands above his head clapping what he had just seen.

It wasn't the third goal of the night that put the Blues ahead for the first time but a successful tackle, Marmoush racing back to dispossess the speedy Will Osula so that City could get the ball back and attack again. Having nearly been out of this FA Cup tie in the first 20 minutes with a Harvey Barnes goal the least that Newcastle deserved, City somehow fought back.

Never mind a game of two halves, this was a half of two halves. From looking vulnerable every time they tried to play out from the back and getting overrun by a home side that looked intent on making up for their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat, City wrestled control of the game away from Newcastle and played themselves level.

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It came in slightly comical fashion, Savinho still as a statue as Jeremy Doku's cross hit him in the six-yard box and rolled over the line with all the agonising slowness of Rayan Cherki's pea-roller in injury time at Anfield, yet Savinho had earned it. On his first start since injury on New Year's Day, the winger that can frustrate fans so often was instrumental in getting City going.

Tijjani Reijnders missed too many chances and Marmoush hadn't really been in the game when he made that challenge just before half-time but the spirit said a lot. City could have easily not fancied it, with Guardiola making 10 changes ahead of Real Madrid and nobody expecting this team to still be in contention for four trophies.

But, after a shellshocked start, a group of City players trying to work their way back into form turned the game on its head and completely dismantled Newcastle. Marmoush fired in from close range at the start of the second half and then smashed one in from outside the box on the hour mark to complete the comeback.

The home side are tired physically and mentally - they probably would have liked to make as many changes as City did and by the time their impact subs came on they were two goals behind. But this still stood as one of the toughest draws Guardiola's side could have had, and to make more changes for it than Mikel Arteta made for Arsenal's trip to Mansfield shows that this squad has strength as well as spirit.

Guardiola is now one game away from extending his astonishing record and making Wembley in nine of his 10 seasons in the FA Cup - he will have to curb his temper if he wants to be in the dugout for the quarter after racking up another yellow card - while City have put the Forest disappointment behind them in the best possible way.

With Marmoush scoring two as Erling Haaland rested up at home and Rodri, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi and Bernardo Silva sitting it out on the bench, City head to Madrid full of confidence. They will just wish they could play Newcastle every week.