No giant-killing was to happen at the Etihad as Manchester City kept their hopes of lifting silverware this season alive with a 3-1 win over Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle in their FA Cup fifth round tie on Saturday.
The visitors came into the encounter hoping to make it a third successive win over Premier League opposition, after getting the better of Brentford in the third round and Liverpool in the fourth round last month.
Plymouth Argyle did start off with a bang when Maksym Talovierov headed Miron Muslic’s side into a 38th-minute lead and leave the Etihad stunned to silence – Argyle had won the previous Cup matches by a lone goal.
However, the hosts drew level in first-half stoppage time, when defender Nico O’Reilly powered home a header as the Cityzens began to dominate.
The second period saw City consolidate as Nico O’Reilly found the back of the net again in the 76th minute via another header, while midfield maestro Kevin de Bruyne put the result beyond doubt in the 90th minute to spare City’s blushes.
The win sees Pep Guardiola’s side reach the last-eight whilst retaining their hopes of silverware, with the FA Cup their best chance to win a trophy in an underwhelming campaign.