Nico giving kiss of life to season in distress

NICO O'REILLY appears to be taking it upon himself to prevent this Manchester City season from hell coming to a nightmare conclusion.

- SIMON MULLOCK

The young Mancunian has come up with key goals and assists during City's march to a seventh successive FA Cup semi-final.

And when he arrived in Jordan Pickford's six-yard box late in the game to ram home Matheus Nunes' driven cross, the celebration of Pep Guardiola (below) said it all about the value of that breakthrough.

City are now in a position where every single point matters as they chase down a top-five finish and a place in the Champions League.

And until O'Reilly had abandoned his left-back position to do a passable impression of Erling Haaland, they were set to exit Goodison Park for the last time without laying a glove on an Everton team that have nothing to play for but pride.

Substitute Mateo Kovacic then made the game safe by beating Pickford from 20 yards. But it was O'Reilly, eight when he joined City's academy, who broke the home side's resistance.

City's need for the spoils was desperate.

They may well lift the FA Cup this season - but a ticket for the Champions League is paramount, with Guardiola plotting a major summer rebuild.