Guardiola’s masterstroke pays off as O’Reilly energises Manchester City | Ben Fisher
Young substitute’s dynamic contribution turns tie around with commanding performance against Bournemouth
The moment that flipped Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth on its head initially went largely unnoticed. As players made a beeline for the tunnel and supporters headed into the concourses loaded with orders for beers, burgers and hotdogs, Pep Guardiola had issued an instruction that would ultimately define this match and earn City passage to a seventh successive semi-final.
As everyone else headed in, his longtime fitness coach, Lorenzo Buenaventura, rushed on to the pitch with a single mission: prime Nico O’Reilly for business. The 20‑year-old from Failsworth, a few miles north of Manchester, ditched the tracksuit top and was quickly put through his paces. O’Reilly would not depart quite so quietly.
