MANCHESTER: Manchester City survived a scare to beat giant killers Plymouth 3-1 and progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, after Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe-Mateta was hospitalized in the Eagles’ 3-1 win over Millwall.
Plymouth had shocked Premier League leaders Liverpool in the previous round and were on course for another stunning upset at the Etihad when Maksym Talovierov headed them in front on 38 minutes.
Argyle boss Miron Muslic said it would be the “biggest honor” of his life to go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola.
With FA Cup glory City’s only realistic hope of silverware this season, Guardiola surprisingly rotated his side with Erling Haaland among those left on the bench.
However, it was one of City’s youngsters who took his chance to shine as Nico O’Reilly turned the tie around.
Muslic will be furious at the manner of both the 19-year-old’s goals as he twice headed in from set-pieces under little pressure.
O’Reilly’s equalizer just before half-time calmed City’s nerves before he powered in Phil Foden’s corner 14 minutes from time.
By that point Guardiola had summoned Haaland off the bench and he teed up the third for Kevin De Bruyne in stoppage time.
“Big compliments to Plymouth for making our job so difficult. They were incredibly organized, but we played a good game,” said Guardiola.
Palace’s progress into the last eight came at a cost as Mateta was stretchered off the field straight into an ambulance and taken to hospital in the early stages of their south London derby.
Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off just eight minutes in after catching Mateta’s head with his boot as he raced out of the penalty area to clear the ball.
Referee Michael Oliver only issued a red card after a VAR review of the challenge, with Roberts winning the ball before accidently crashing his boot into Mateta’s head.
“Thank you for all your kind messages. I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon. And stronger than ever. Well done guys for a great job today,” Mateta posted on Instagram.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed Mateta had suffered a serious injury to his ear but said the impact could have ended the Frenchman’s career.
“Just imagine if he hits his face straight, with his power, with the studs, it is the end of JP’s career,” said Glasner.
Palace chairman Steve Parish described as the “most reckless challenge” he had ever seen.
The home side made use of the man advantage to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Japhet Tanganga’s own goal put Palace ahead in the 33rd minute before Daniel Munoz prodded in the second seven minutes later.
Wes Harding pulled a goal back for the Lions 13 minutes into first-half stoppage time added on for Mateta’s treatment.
Palace were made to wait until 82 minutes to ensure progress when Eddie Nketiah’s looping header found the far corner.
Bournemouth advanced to the last eight for only the third time in their history with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over Wolves after their 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
Evanilson’s 30th-minute opener for Bournemouth was followed by VAR controversy as Milos Kerkez had a second ruled out for offside after an eight-minute check when the new semi-automated version of the system broke down.
Matheus Cunha levelled for Wolves with a second-half rocket to force extra-time, but the Brazilian was sent off for violent conduct after repeatedly clashing with Kerkez just before the penalties.
After Matt Doherty missed when he had the chance to send Wolves through, Boubacar Traore hit the crossbar and Luis Sinisterra sealed the win for Andoni Iraola’s men.
Milutin Osmajic taunted Burnley fans after helping Preston into the quarter-finals for the first time since 1966 with a 3-0 win at Deepdale.
When the Championship sides played in the league two weeks ago, Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri accused Osmajic of racist abuse, allegations which the Preston striker denies.
Burnley players declined to shake hands with Montenegro international Osmajic before their latest meeting.
Osmajic got Preston’s second goal late in the first half and celebrated by taunting Burnley fans with his hands cupped around his ears.
Robbie Brady and Will Keane were also on target as Preston ended Burnley’s 23-game unbeaten run.
Man City survive Plymouth scare, Palace’s Mateta hospitalized in Millwall win
https://arab.news/85vzm
Man City survive Plymouth scare, Palace’s Mateta hospitalized in Millwall win
- Plymouth had shocked Premier League leaders Liverpool in the previous round
- “Big compliments to Plymouth for making our job so difficult. They were incredibly organized, but we played a good game,” said Guardiola
Middle East war puts Asian Football Confederation in a tricky situation
- Asian football has long been structured around regions, with competitions split between East and West
- With conflict in the Middle East escalating on Feb. 28, the AFC was forced into emergency mode as the knockout stages of its club competitions approach
DAMMAM: Football in Asia has never been an easy task to manage. Long flights, numerous time zones, conflicting calendars, vastly different football cultures and — perhaps more than any other confederation in the world — politics.
While the war in the Middle East falls under the AFC’s umbrella, its direct effects have so far been limited to the clubs in West Asia. Asian football has long been structured around regions, with competitions split between East and West, although for a period, the second-tier AFC Cup operated in five separate regions.
As a result, AFC club competitions in East Asia continued uninterrupted in the first week of March. A crowd of 31,225 watched Johor Darul Ta’zim’s historic 3-1 victory over Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the AFC Champions League Elite round of 16. Bangkok United defeated Tampines Rovers in the AFC Champions League Two quarter-final, and an all-Cambodian clash between Phnom Penh Crown and PKR Svay Rieng in the AFC Challenge League ended in a 4-1 victory for the visitors.
The situation in West Asia, however, is vastly different.
With the conflict in the Middle East escalating on Feb. 28, the AFC was forced into emergency mode as the knockout stages of its club competitions approach.
Within 24 hours, the confederation announced that all first-leg matches involving West Asian clubs in AFC competitions would be rescheduled until further notice. The same decision was taken for the second-leg matches fixtures just 48 hours later.
Domestic football has also been heavily disrupted. Leagues in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon have been postponed indefinitely, with matches continuing behind closed doors in Jordan.
Leagues in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq and Syria continue to operate, but flights in the region are limited.
With the season already compressed by the FIFA Arab Cup, FIFA Intercontinental playoffs and the upcoming FIFA World Cup, member associations throughout the Middle East now find themselves scrambling alongside the AFC to solve a problem that ultimately lies outside their control.
Another issue looms on the horizon. The AFC Champions League final stage will be hosted in Saudi Arabia next month for the second year in a row. While football has not halted in the Kingdom and the security situation is stable, it remains to be seen whether East Asian clubs will be willing to travel if the conflict continues.
What is the real solution, fans ask?
One proposal that has been circulated is to centralize the knockout rounds from the Round of 16 stage instead of the quarter-finals. That option, however, presents its own challenges. East Asian clubs have already begun their journey in the round of 16, and the idea of centralized hosting has historically not been popular across the continent.
When Saudi Arabia and Qatar were selected to host the AFC World Cup Qualifiers fourth round last year, the decision sparked backlash from Indonesia, Iraq, Oman and the UAE. More recently, journalist Ali Al-Marshoud claimed on Saudi sports program “In the 90” that the UAE’s Al-Wasl rejected a proposal for their AFC Champions League Two quarter-final against Al-Nassr as a single-leg match in Jeddah.
The AFC therefore finds itself in a difficult position. It cannot control regional geopolitics, nor can it influence government policies. At the same time, there is no guarantee that East Asian clubs will travel to the region, or that West Asian clubs will agree to surrender their right to play matches at home.
The conflict has also begun to affect international football.
With the FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoffs scheduled for later this month and Iraq facing a crucial qualifier in Mexico on March 31, uncertainty continues to grow.
In a statement released by the Iraqi Football Association, officials confirmed they were in constant contact with FIFA and the AFC regarding potential travel complications.
Head coach Graham Arnold is currently unable to leave the UAE, while several players and staff have struggled to obtain visas to Mexico due to embassy closures. All the while flights through Iraqi airspace have been suspended.
Political complications are not new to Asian football. For years, Saudi and Iranian clubs played each other at neutral grounds. Conflicts in Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon also forced the AFC to adopt special arrangements at various times. And of course, the COVID-19 pandemic, which fundamentally reshaped the state of football in Asia.
Yet the current situation presents a different scale of challenge.
For the first time in modern history, the AFC must navigate a regional conflict that touches nearly every part of the confederation. With the season entering its decisive stages and the largest World Cup in history approaching, solutions must be found quickly, or Asian football risks a crisis that could reshape the continental game.
