On Friday night, seven planets lined up in the solar system to create a celestial event that occurs once in a generation. The following day, in Manchester, the cosmos almost aligned so that a Blue Moon was so nearly obscured by a Green Wall.
For eight glorious minutes, Argyle led Manchester City, reigning Premier League champions, in their own stadium. Maksym Talovierov’s stratospheric leap to head Argyle in front meant the Greens had stars in their eyes.
Nico O’Reilly’s equaliser, right on half-time, levelled matters. It would be a further half-an-hour of football before the same player scored again to settle matters, but my-oh-my the very real thought, for much of the early evening, of a third incredible cup win for Argyle was tangible to say the least.
Miron Muslic’s Argyle could not follow their 1-0 wins over Brentford and Liverpool which had brought them to this point, but in a city famed for its industrial past, the industry and heart on show from the Pilgrims was evident to all.
The reality of this season – a dozen games to attain survival in the Sky Bet Championship – will hit from Tuesday onwards. But this was a lovely little holiday from that kind of action. An almost perfect little City-break, if you will.
4.45pm was an interesting moment in the day, as there was possibly more intrigue, even for the Green Army, for the reveal of the Manchester City side than their own.
Things were soon clear: Manchester City had made 11 changes, but those changes encompassed the inclusion of the most expensive British footballer of all-time in Jack Grealish; established international talents like Bernardo Silva, Nathan Ake and Ilkay Gundogan; a generational English talent in Phil Foden; and Kevin de Bruyne, arguably one of the Premier League’s greatest ever midfielders.
As for the City subs – it might be the greatest assembling of talents ever gathered on a bench opposing Argyle: Ederson, Haaland, Marmoush, Dias, Gvardiol, Doku and others. You could have added Roy Race, Hercules and Thanos and it would not have made it any more intimidating.
At 5.28pm, the Argyle players left the field for their warm-up. Near the tunnel was a figure, in an Argyle tracksuit and gilet, and a cap that slightly obscured his identity, for a moment. It was Adam Randell, a man who would likely have captained his hometown team out at the home of the team that have won the Premier League for the last four years.
Sulk? Not a bit of it. Randell applauded vociferously as his colleagues headed for the tunnel, the missing midfielder doing every little bit he could.
Ostensibly taking Randell’s place in the team was Malachi Boateng, making his first start in the green and white. He did so alongside former Man City man Darko Gyabi, a two-man midfield playing behind Callum Wright, Mustapha Bundu and Bali Mumba, whose impactful 45 minutes from the bench the previous weekend had earned him a place in the front three.
Another former Citizen, Nathanael Ogbeta, was given the nod to play at left wing-back, with Matty Sorinola on the right, his name being sung by 7,800 travelling supporters just prior to the teams’ walk-outs, as the Green Army attempted to out-ola the home fans, waxing lyrical about their famous boss, to the familiar Dave Clark Five refrain.
In the back three, Nikola Katic not only played the central role, but captained the side. Maksym Talovierov lined up to his right and, fresh from signing a contract extension, Julio Pleguezuelo completed the trio. Conor Hazard, to this point yet to be beaten in the competition by two Premier League sides, was in goal.
To the surprise of no-one, City took control from the start, dominating possession, and shifting the ball around their side effortlessly. Argyle’s structure was clear to see, and was clearly designed to make City work for their victory, to pick their way through if they could.
Foden was first on the block to seriously test the resilience, with a fizzed low effort which Talovieriov deflected wide. Gundogan had two headed efforts – one from a left-flank corner, the other from a James McAtee cross from the right – which were over the bar and easily pouched by Hazard, respectively.
As the first half neared its midway point, Argyle had their first tentative foray forward. Bundu earned a throw-in high on the right flank, which Pleguezuelo slung in. A partial City clearance led to a similar throw on the other wing, which again City ejected – and they sprang.
Argyle had committed bodies up the pitch, and opened the space City craved. Foden looked as if he was about get behind the backline and bear down on Hazard, but a Spanish plume appeared in the form of Pleguezuelo, racing round and winning a tackle that the Green Army celebrated like the Greens had gone a goal up, or that the away end was doing pasties for a pound.
Gundogan, as he has proved to be to players of teams far loftier than Argyle, was being a menace. About as easy to pick up as a boiling vat of Vaseline, Gundogan again breezed into a good position to receive a cutback from Grealish. The German midfielder opened his body, steered an effort towards goal, and saw it return having struck the upright.
And then it happened. THE moment. The one that will go on every Argyle highlight reel from now to Armageddon, where the name of Talovierov will be said in the rat-a-tat of clips following the likes of Williams, Mauge, Hartley, Gillesphey and Hardie.
The first-half corner count: 11-1. But it was the one in eleven-and-one that drew the eye and gave Argyle a beautifully unlikely lead.
The Pilgrims’ set-pieces have certainly improved of late, likely not a coincidence following the arrival of dedicated coach Hubert Auer. He will have played his part in the goal, but it was essentially scored by virtue of two important criteria: Sorinola’s delivery was excellent, Talovierov’s header sublime.
Matty + Maxi = madness. The away end was fluid, a mass of arms and legs, the personification of delirium.
On the bench, the goal was celebrated with equal enthusiasm. Club captain Joe Edwards cast his eyes to his right, to the near-8,000 revellers. He then then drew the attention of Kevin Nancekivell, and pointed out the scenes going on behind the goal. It was fitting to see the off-field heroes of Argyle’s first FA Cup triumph of the season delighting in this moment.
Obviously, City reacted. Vitor Reis and Nathan Ake headed not far off target, and then Hazard saved from de Bruyne at the conclusion of the best move of the match.
Several seconds into the one signalled minute of first-half stoppage time, City scored, with similar simplicity to the Argyle strike, thanks to a good ball and a good header. De Bruyne with the take, O’Reilly with the flick – and there was parity at the break.
City brought on Ruben Dias for Nathan Ake at half-time, and recommenced their assault. Hazard pulled out another cracking stop to repel a Bernardo Silva shot; Rico Lewis hit a dipping, pump-action volley just over the top; Foden curled wide from the edge of the area. There were likely other chances – keeping up was not as easy as it can be in other games.
The hosts went to their bench again, and withdrew McAtee in favour of – checks notes – Erling Haaland, a promising marksman with a decent future ahead of him. You heard it here 261,581st.
Argyle responded with a triple switch of their own. Jordan Houghton, Michael Baidoo and Rami Al Hajj came on for Gyabi, Bundu and Mumba.
Hazard made another very smart stop when he fingertipped over a drive from de Bruyne, struck like very few can, but matched by the reach of the big Northern Irishman. Haaland then took aim for the first time and whistled one just over.
In the end, City’s attacks, particularly their set-pieces, proved too much. From their 19thcorner, they took the lead, with O’Reilly winning a far post header and scoring, although Argyle felt Houghton had been fouled.
Hazard continued to wow, making a pair of saves from Haaland and Silva that defied belief, but even he could not keep City out, and at the very end, the classy de Bruyne scored to seal it, meaning it was the team that have won the cup seven times who head to another quarter-final.
But Argyle were wonderful. They again will have demonstrated to the nation – the world – the heart that exists in the team, in the club. The Green Army got a goal to celebrate, and a performance to laud.
After Haaland and that, we go to Hull and back, knowing that we had a hell of a craic.
Argyle: 21 Conor Hazard, 2 Bali Mumba (28 Rami Al Hajj, 64, 3 Nathanael Ogbeta (17 Tymoteusz Puchacz, 71), 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 11 Callum Wright, 15 Mustapha Bundu (30 Michael Baidoo, 64), 18 Darko Gyabi (4 Jordan Houghton, 64), 19 Malachi Boateng, 25 Nikola Katic (capt), 29 Matty Sorinola (6 Kornel Szucs, 80), 40 Maksym Talovierov. Substitutes: 31 Daniel Grimshaw (gk), 8 Joe Edwards, 34 Caleb Roberts, 44 Victor Palsson.
Goals: Talovierov 38
Manchester City: 18 Stefan Ortega, 6 Nathan Ake (3 Ruben Dias, half-time), 10 Jack Grealish, 17 Kevin De Bruyne, 19 Ilkay Gundogan, 20 Bernardo Silva, 22 Vitor Reis, 47 Phil Foden (14 Nico Gonzalez, 83), 75 Nico O’Reilly, 82 Rico Lewis, 87 James McAtee (9 Erling Haaland, 59). Substitutes: 31 Ederson (gk), 7 Omar Marmoush, 11 Jeremy Doku, 24 Josko Gvardiol, 26 Savinho, 27 Matheus Nunes.
Goals: O’Reilly 45+1, 76, de Bruyne 90
Referee: Craig Pawson
