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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Phil Blanche

Swansea 1-3 Man City: Pep Guardiola breathes sigh of relief after Swans threaten upset

Back and better than ever: Omar Marmoush - (Action Images via Reuters)

Manchester City overcame a Carabao Cup scare to book their quarter-final place with a 3-1 win at Swansea.

Goncalo Franco had fired the Championship outfit ahead with the game's first goal attempt after 12 minutes but City equalised before half-time as Jeremy Doku's effort took a wicked deflection.

Swansea had to soak up intense pressure but, without the absent Erling Haaland, City largely fired blanks until Omar Marmoush blasted them ahead after 77 minutes.

Rayan Cherki confirmed victory in stoppage time by rolling the ball inside Andy Fisher's far post, finally ending Swansea hopes of repeating their third-round victory over Nottingham Forest.

Haaland was prevented from adding to his season haul of 24 goals for club and country as Pep Guardiola gave him the night off - and the Norwegian was missed with the eight-time competition winners guilty of wastefulness.

James Trafford was confounded by Goncalo Franco’s sweetly-hit opener (Getty Images)

Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Tijjani Reijnders were also rested, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol and Phil Foden kept in reserve.

Oscar Bobb was the only survivor from the team that began Sunday's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa but Swansea were also much-changed in the middle of a busy league programme and Adam Idah replaced top scorer Zan Vipotnik in attack.

This was City's third visit to this corner of south Wales in six years with the visitors having won twice in the FA Cup - their first meeting a 2019 quarter-final in which Swansea led 2-0 into the final quarter.

Swansea started at a furious pace in a febrile atmosphere and James Trafford, making his first appearance since the third round over five weeks ago, was quickly fishing the ball out of the net.

Josh Key advanced down the right and squared for Franco to superbly find the top corner from the edge of the box.

Swansea worked hard to keep City at arms length, getting bodies behind the ball and closing down passing routes.

Rayan Cherki joined Omar Marmoush on the scoresheet (Action Images via Reuters)

Cherki flashed a cross across goal that would have been meat and drink for Haaland but no one in a black shirt could apply the finish.

Swansea almost benefited from an Abdukodir Khusanov mistake after the defender sent his pass straight to Melker Widell.

The Sweden international's shot appeared destined for the bottom corner but Trafford got a decisive touch to send it wide.

Cherki was increasingly influential as City probed before the break, having one effort deflected wide before stabbing Bobb's centre on to a post.

The equaliser duly arrived six minutes before the break as Doku scampered to keep a Rayan Ait-Nouri pass in play.

Doku cut inside Key and unleashed a shot that deflected off Cameron Burgess for his second goal of the season.

Kaelan Casey cleared away Marmoush's attempt from under his own crossbar and Fisher clutched Rico Lewis' deflected drive but the pattern of City domination was firmly set.

Foden, Gvardiol and Stones were sent on to turn pressure into a winner but Swansea were just 13 minutes from taking the tie to penalties when Marmoush claimed his first goal of an injury-hit campaign and Cherki sealed matters.

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