Manchester City

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We didn't concede anything except one thing at the end. It wasn't easy with 10 players behind the ball in the box.

"We missed the third goal to be more relaxed, it's never over. But pleased for a good performance.

"We never give up to find the third goal. A performance that nothing wrong happened, everyone focussed, we missed a third goal that's all."

On Jack Grealish: "Not easy when you don't play regularly. Goal good for him and playing in a more central position, he's more comfortable on the sides. He's playing really good."

On Omar Marmoush: "Everyone has to be involved, the players closer to the box and the goal. He has a good sense, good numbers for the short time he's been with us. Dynamic, good pressing, really pleased for him."

On Oscar Bobb: "He's struggled a lot. He's fought a lot to come back from the injury, a long time ago he's struggled a lot. I'm really pleased how the people take care of him and the fans are pleased for him. Step by step, he's back."

On fight for Champions League spot: "Eight games left. Every game is vital. After the tough game in Bournemouth, making the semi-final to come here after just three days. Helped us to score early, we missed the third goal that's all. The rest was good."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City winger Savinho is the first player to assist eight Premier League goals in a season before the age of 21 since Trent Alexander-Arnold in 2018-19 (12) and the first non-Englishman to do so since Cesc Fabregas for Arsenal in 2007-08 (17).

Meanwhile, all five of Omar Marmoush's Premier League goals for Manchester City have come at the Etihad - the outright most by any player to score 100% of their goals at home in the competition this term.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Man City's performance

What did you make of Leicester's display?

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

Six matches make up Wednesday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Bournemouth v Ipswich

• Brighton v Aston Villa

• Man City v Leicester City

• Newcastle v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Southampton v Crystal Palace

• Liverpool v Everton (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Sometimes in football there are things you simply cannot write.

For Manchester City, that has happened over, and over, and over again across the past 25 years. This season has been no different, albeit in a varying version and away from the dramatics of the football pitch.

Pep Guardiola has had to battle a relentless conveyor belt of injury concerns to his biggest stars - from Ruben Dias to Kevin de Bruyne, Ederson to Jeremy Doku.

One ever present throughout that uncertainty has been Erling Haaland, who has managed to stay fit and record yet another 30-plus goal contribution campaign at a time when the entire squad seems to be under-performing.

That is until now, and the business end of the season. A time when Manchester City need to put together a winning run of form - something that they are more than used to at this time of year - to secure themselves in the 2025-26 Champions League and perhaps even claim a silver lining in this campaign with the FA Cup.

This is the moment when the biggest stars would usually step up, but given the way this current crop of players are performing and reacting to adversity, nothing is off the table.

Now more than ever, those in sky blue and white desperately need to stand in for their goalscoring phenomenon and provide the impetus in front of the net to make up for perhaps the greatest loss in terms of personnel so far this season.

Guardiola has suggested he has players with a "sense of goal" to stand in for Haaland, and a whole host of players spring to mind. Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden, De Bruyne... The list goes on.

Could we even see a return of Ilkay Gundogan into a false nine role? In football, there are things you simply cannot write.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

It is exactly the fixture Manchester City would want after their FA Cup win at Bournemouth, when Pep Guardiola was speaking about his players showing heart and soul, and the desire and passion that they need.

The way he was talking shows how much winning the FA Cup means to him, but does it mean they are back on track? I am not sure, and I don't think this game will tell us much either because they should blow Leicester away even if they are nowhere near their best.

Leicester have not scored a league goal since the end of January, and I don't see that changing at Etihad Stadium. They are at the stage where their fans cheer a corner, let alone a shot at goal - that's desperate, and that's where Leicester are at.

From what Pep was saying, he knows how important this game is for their run-in, as Manchester City look to secure Champions League football next season. I don't think there is any chance they will slip up.

Sutton's prediction: 5-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

"Of course" Manchester City supporters can "legitimately express their concerns and feelings with the club", says Pep Guardiola.

Three supporters groups - 1894, Trade Union Blues and MCFC Fans Foodbank - have urged fellow fans to boycott the first nine minutes of Wednesday's home game with Leicester to protest the club's new agreement with resale platform Viagogo over hospitality tickets.

The partnership with Viagogo partnership is the ninth City have entered into in relation to ticket reselling with fans concerned about the possibility of over-inflated pricing.

"Of course I have sympathy," said Guardiola. "When the fans can express good moments or bad moments or feelings, it's because the team and the club is alive. The worst is when you cannot express that.

"I don't know specifically [this issue], but football clubs belong to the people and if the people don't agree with something they can legitimately express concerns with the club. And the club is open, listening to them, arriving in agreement so everybody can be satisfied.

"The club has to be active in many departments in the decisions being made and has to take them for the benefit of the club, but the club doesn't take it [the support] for granted."

After an uncharacteristically inconsistent season, City are locked in a race for Champions League qualification and Guardiola says the team must rely on supporters more than ever despite the protests.

"All I can say is that we need them," he added. "Since minute one, we need them. We need them desperately to achieve our success to be in the Champions League again.

"Imagine going to the stadium with no fans, it would make no sense. Our job would make no sense. They applauded when we won and they boo when they are dissatisfied with our performance.

"Of course they can legitimately express their concerns and feelings with the club. The club will listen to them and try to arrive in an agreement."

Image source, Getty Images

None of Leicester's 12 Premier League away games against Manchester City have been drawn, with the Foxes winning five to Manchester City's seven. The 10 meetings between the pair at Etihad Stadium in the competition have produced a total of 43 goals (Manchester City 25, Leicester 18).

Leicester have conceded the first goal in 24 of their 29 Premier League games this season - at least five more than anyone else. Should they fall 1-0 behind to Manchester City here, it will be the outright most times a team has conceded first in their opening 30 matches of a Premier League campaign (25), surpassing Ipswich's record from 1994-95 (24).

Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 30, wants to leave Manchester City this summer in search of a challenge away from the Premier League. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

So, Pep Guardiola has put a timescale on Erling Haaland's absence from the Manchester City side.

And it leaves a question mark over whether the Norwegian will feature again in the domestic campaign.

On Guardiola's best-case five-week absence, Haaland would be back for the Premier League game at Southampton on 10 May. Guardiola's worst-case seven weeks would be the final game of the season at Fulham on 25 May.

Intriguingly, in the middle of those two matches is the FA Cup final.

Nottingham Forest will argue against whether City will even be at Wembley to face Aston Villa or Crystal Palace in the showpiece. However, it is a target for Haaland, whose absence surely means Mohamed Salah will be crowned the Premier League's Golden Boot winner.

Haaland will also have a couple of internationals for Norway at the beginning of June to make sure he is fully fit for the Club World Cup.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Leicester at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 19:34 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He has been told Erling Haaland will miss "five to seven weeks" by the club's medical staff.

• On another injury blow: "Sometimes there are years when these kinds of things happen. It has happened all season."

• He said they "have to adapt and find a solution" to not having the number nine, but added: "We don't have another player with his skills or specific qualities. His numbers have been exceptional and he is our incredible threat for many things."

• On the planned fan protest over ticketing: "Of course, I have sympathy. The club has its ways and arguments. They [the fans] can express what they truly want and I prefer that to them being passive."

• Asked what his message to the fans is, Guardiola said: "All I can say is that we need them from minute one. I know how tough Leicester is [going to be]. We desperately need them to achieve our success to be in the Champions League again."

• He said City have to win their home games if they are to qualify for Europe's top competition, but it is still not the toughest challenge he has faced in his nine years at the club as winning titles is harder.

• On whether he has seen enough from his players to think they can go on one of their infamous unbeaten runs: "I would like to say yes, but I don't know. In previous seasons we have done it, but this season we have not been consistent."

Hear more from Guardiola on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart says winning the FA Cup final in 2011 "was one of the best feelings of my footballing career".

City went on to beat Stoke 1-0 thanks to a late strike by midfielder Yaya Toure, who also scored the winner in the semi-final against Manchester United.

"There will be a lot of haters looking at that Newcastle celebration [first trophy in 70 years] saying: 'You won the league cup, calm down.' No, absolutely not, it was an incredible moment for that city and that football club," Hart told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"When Manchester City won their first trophy - which we are all very accustomed to doing now - that emotion that went on, especially playing in the semi-finals and beating Manchester United and then going on to win that trophy, felt like everything."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Manchester City will try to sign Arsenal defender William Saliba this summer, with the 24-year-old France international also a target for Real Madrid. (Defensa Central - in Spanish), external

AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is also a target for City, who have already made contact with the Serie A club about the 26-year-old. (Teamtalk), external

Barcelona say their midfielder Pedri is not up for sale amid links him with Manchester City, who believe the 22-year-old Spain international would be the ideal replacement for Kevin de Bruyne. (Marca - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy described Erling Haaland as "a pillar" in Manchester City's team and "the best of the best" when responding to a question about the striker's form this season.

Haaland has scored 30 goals in all competitions this season in 40 appearances, while last season he netted 38 times in 45 games.

Former Premier League striker Van Nistelrooy was asked: "By his [Haaland's] standards, he's had a difficult season - is it very different as a world class striker to keep that heart and confidence?"

Van Nistelrooy replied: "How many goals did he score so far this season? Yesterday he scored his 30th. Come on.

"This is what I mean? 30 goals - he's the best striker in the league. He's proven it. He's won everything possible. He's a class act. He's the best of the best. He has an A mindset, A quality and will continue with that for many more years.

"He has signed an extremely long contract and is one City is building around. When you have a guy like that in the building and you're keeping him, you have a guarantee for 30 goals and apparently it's a bad season.

"Imagine when he starts to play well - he'll score 60 or 70! He's a pillar in City's current team and in their future, so nothing but praise for him from my side."

Image source, Getty Images

After his two assists off the bench against Bournemouth, Manchester City's Nico O'Reily has been directly involved in five goals in four FA Cup appearances this season (three goals, two assists) - only bettered by Exeter's Josh Magennis.

Illustrating his impact on the quarter-final, the 20-year-old also became the first City substitute to assist two goals in a game since Ilkay Gundogan against Leeds in December 2021.

"My instructions were to just get involved as much as I can in the attacking phase and make sure I'm secure in the defensive phase," O'Reilly told BBC Radio Manchester.

"It was good to get the contributions with the two assists so I'm just buzzing."

Naturally a forward-thinking midfielder, O'Reilly's physicality and attacking instinct is shown in his touch map - but his defensive solidity was particularly impressive for a player not used to filling the left-back berth.

He was bought on at half-time and the Cherries did not have a shot in the entire second period.

"Towards the start it was a bit challenging because I've not really played there but I know what I need to do there and I'm just buzzing I can play," O'Reilly added.

"I'm just grateful for the opportunities I get from the manager and to play with the players who are out there."

O'Reilly showed his attacking tendencies in trying to progress the ball at every opportunity. He usually did this centrally as City were playing without traditional wingers.

Where he found himself positioned for his assist also demonstrated his aggressive movement and ability to get into the penalty area.

"Nico is a number 10," Pep Guardiola said on O'Reilly. "He possesses such quality in the final third and has so much vision.

"We thought he could do it for us on the left as well, and he did."

Listen to all the reaction on the Manchester City feed on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views on Manchester City's victory over Bournemouth in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans:

Tim: Five shots in the game and none after the 38th minute! Crikey, that doesn't sound like Bournemouth. Let's go all out for league points and recapture the form that has disappeared recently.

Mark: Classic game of two halves. First half intensity slipped away while City's subs made a difference but ours not so much. A must-win home game against the Tractor Boys on Wednesday under the lights.

Matt: A rollercoaster of emotions ended ultimately in disappointment. Gave it a right go first half, but ran out of steam, ideas and threat in the second. League points now the priority to avoid what would feel like a damp squib of a season.

Zia: I think the first half was the more dominant half for the Cherries but in the second half, they just fell asleep.

Man City fans:

Brian: A game of two halves. Bournemouth pushed City all the way but youth won the day in the second half and their belief and commitment shown. City are on track for a cup when a trophy was not at all likely this season. They are so dangerous in attack when the game is played at pace and with one-touch football. The new faces are smiling and that is the investment we need for the future. Defence has its issues and Pep needs to address the goalkeeping frailty. But this was a good day and they have their sights firmly focused on the FA Cup.

Clint: A fair result. City struggled to make inroads in the first half, without being overly-troubled, other than the goal. In the second half there was only one team in it. Nottingham Forest have flattered to deceive this season and Pep will, hopefully, have learned enough about them from the smash-and-grab a couple of weeks back. Would be lovely to finish the season with a cup final.

Geoff: We beat a nasty Premier League pub team and only suffered one injury - an excellent result.

Abdullah: All I've got to say is that Omar Marmoush is a real star player, and Nico O'Reilly is a must to keep for the future.