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Bournemouth fans were quick to mock Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who had a rather tough first half at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, March 30. The Cityzens failed to stamp their authority on their FA Cup quarter-final against Bournemouth, and Haaland took the brunt of the jokes as he struggled.
The home crowd chanted at the striker, who wasted a pair of gilt-edged opportunities in the space of mere minutes (via PurelyFootball on X):
"You're just a s**t Andy Carroll"
The first miss was in the form of a header just wide of the post. Then, in the 14th minute, City were awarded a penalty for a handball by Tyler Adams. Haaland took it but rolled a weak shot to Kepa Arrizabalaga’s left. The Bournemouth goalkeeper did well to save easily, gathering the ball without needing a second touch.
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Only two minutes later, Erling Haaland was handed another clear chance when a poor pass out of the Bournemouth midfield left him clean through on goal. He tried to lift the ball over Kepa, but poorly played the finish and saw it sail harmlessly over the bar.
These missed opportunities roused the home support, who mocked Haaland by comparing him to Andy Carroll, who is renowned for his aerial prowess rather than finesse. Both players also sport a man bun, leading to more similarities.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth made Manchester City pay for their wastefulness in the 21st minute. Evanilson applied the finishing touch from close range to give the hosts the lead at halftime.
Erling Haaland responds to the mockery as Manchester City provide second-half comeback to seal the win
Erling Haaland eventually found his range to score and spur Manchester City into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth. The latter fell apart after a decent first half at the Vitality Stadium. Trailing 1-0 at the break, Pep Guardiola went with youth, bringing on Nico O’Reilly for Abdukodir Khusanov, and he transformed the tie for City immediately.
Four minutes after the break, O’Reilly swung a cross from the right into the path of the goal and Erling Haaland made no mistake from close range. Having squandered two earlier chances, the Norwegian striker made amends with a confident finish.
City’s pressure never relented, and by the 63rd minute, they had completed the comeback. O’Reilly was key once more, flicking a smart ball into the path of Omar Marmoush. The forward poked a low shot through Kepa’s legs to give City the lead.
Bournemouth, who had taken the lead with an early goal, failed to respond as Manchester City saw out the final minutes with the ball largely in their control. The hosts’ hopes of making a first FA Cup semi-final disappeared, while City reached Wembley for the seventh year in a row.
