LONDON — Pep Guardiola had Omar Marmoush in the tightest of bear hugs and seemed strangely unwilling to release the smiling Egyptian.
It was the 73rd minute and two goals from the newly withdrawn Marmoush, the second a real show stopper, and another from Savinho had enabled Manchester City to come from behind and potentially shatter Newcastle’s entire season.
As Guardiola’s irrepressible, gloriously sweet passing, team secured a passage into the English FA Cup sixth round that continues their advance on a quadruple, Eddie Howe’s campaign could hinge on his players overcoming Barcelona in their impending Champions League tie.
This was Newcastle’s fifth meeting with City this season and, despite a deceptively powerful start, it contained plenty of clues as to not merely why Guardiola’s team have won four of these encounters but why Howe’s team are a modest 12th in the Premier League.
Not that Manchester City’s manager ever underestimates them. “This was our best performance at this stadium during my decade here, we played really, really good,” said Guardiola who at one point became so incensed with the officiating that, on a freezing Tyneside night he ripped his coat off in fury and clenched a fist in the direction of the fourth official before being booked by the referee, Sam Barrott.
The home side began strongly at St James’ Park and took a deserved lead when Harvey Barnes finished smartly after being found by Sandro Tonali, AFP reported.
City was level in the 39th minute in bizarre fashion when Jeremy Doku’s dangerous ball behind the defence ran all the way to Savinho.
The Brazilian stood still and appeared to let the ball bounce off his leg into the net.
Soon after the restart City completed the turnaround when Marmoush smashed the ball into the roof of the goal from close range.
The Egyptian forward then thundered home his second in the 65th minute to put his team in total control.
Guardiola turned to a bench full of international talent to refresh the team, who suffered few scares in reaching their ninth FA Cup quarter-final in the past 10 years.
City, who will travel to face Real Madrid in midweek, remains in the Premier League title hunt but are seven points behind Arsenal after their stumble against Forest.
Chelsea is also into the last eight after a 4-2 win but only after a scare against second-tier Wrexham, who twice took the lead at the Racecourse Ground.
Hollywood-owned Wrexham, watched by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, went ahead through Sam Smith but the visitors drew level courtesy of an own goal shortly before halftime.
In a breathless second period, Callum Doyle put the Welsh team back ahead again in the 78th minute, only for Josh Acheampong to equalise four minutes later.
The game changed when Wrexham midfielder George Dobson was sent off in stoppage time and Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho volleyed home in the first period of extra time before substitute Joao Pedro’s late strike added gloss to the scoreline.
“Incredible win. I think it was one of the hardest games of the season so far,” Garnacho told the BBC.
“We are proud, and we are in the next round…. You have to fight and the opposition played really good.”
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, who has masterminded three straight promotions for the Welsh side, said his team could take “a lot of heart” from the performance.
“I’m very pleased with the way we acquitted ourselves tonight,” he said. “We showed a lot of good aspects to our play and played some great football. We weren’t just coming here to stop Chelsea – we believe we can play.”
Wrexham will now turn their attention to their push for a fourth straight promotion – this time to the Premier League.
In the first FA Cup match of the day, Eberechi Eze smashed home the winner as a much-changed Arsenal toughed out a win in the East Midlands.
