Nico O’Reilly was the star of the show for Manchester City as he scored a brilliant brace in their 3-1 victory against Plymouth Argyle to send his boyhood club through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Pep Guardiola lauded O’Reilly after the contest and claimed that the 19-year-old’s physicality makes him quite unique in comparison to City’s archetypal diminutive youngsters.
As a result, Nico O’Reilly seems to have gained Guardiola’s trust as a makeshift left-back — starting as one against Salford City, Leyton Orient and now Plymouth Argyle as well.
The Manchester City academy graduate took advantage of his towering frame by heading in two goals, using his strength to bully his marker for the second.
O’Reilly has repaid Pep Guardiola’s faith in multiple positions since the Sky Blues’ pre-season tour of the United States, having shone as a defensive midfielder despite being a natural number 10.
While Manchester City fans were full of praise for their match-winner, they also pinpointed how terrific Vitor Reis looked against Plymouth Argyle.
Man City fans rave about Vitor Reis after FA Cup win vs Plymouth Argyle
One Manchester City fan lauded Reis’ display against Plymouth by writing on X: “The more I watch that Vitor Reis performance, the better it gets. I know it was just Plymouth but you can see quality at any level and the kid just exudes maturity and confidence.”
Another City fan went as far as to compare Reis to John Stones already after he starred in the heart of their defence against Plymouth, claiming: “Vitor Reis with a 90-minute passing masterclass, we’ve signed a proper gem with this lad. As I’ve said earlier, he’s a John Stones-esque archetype in so many ways (range of his actions), especially his passing. He understands how to defend as part of a unit, is comfortable in a back three and knows when to step up or hold his position. Strong in the air, courageous, and laser-focused. Brilliant performance, Vitor.”
A third supporter noticed that the 18-year-old looked like City’s leader at the back in only his second start: “Vitor Reis, the leader in the defensive line. Dictating the defense and vocal like he does with U-18 Brazil team. Positive and posture of a leader.”
A fourth Manchester City fan also remarked how Reis looked like a leader of men against Plymouth while hailing the Brazilian’s leap, passing and reading of the game: “Really like what I’ve seen of Reis. Excellent leap, is a smooth passer, reads danger well, and is already very vocal with the team.”
A fifth fan claimed that the former Palmeiras centre-back looks like a bigger talent than Abdukodir Khusanov, who was congratulated by Heung-min Son after standing out against Tottenham Hotspur recently: “With Khusanov’s recent performances, I am kind of more excited about Vitor Reis’ future at Manchester City. I know it is not correlated but both were signed as prospects with very high ceilings. One of them has proved to be a world-class prospect, and I believe the other one will be similar. Good times ahead.”
Finally, a sixth Manchester City fan was full of praise for Reis after watching him in the flesh against Plymouth Argyle: “It was nice to finally get to see Vitor Reis up close, he was surprisingly strong in the air despite his lanky build. They tried roughing him up a few times but to no avail, which can’t have been easy for him. His future looks bright.”
Vitor Reis stats for Manchester City vs Plymouth
Reis will be delighted to see how much he has impressed Manchester City fans already after facing Plymouth.
The teenager merits all the praise coming his way, dominating aerially, looking comfortable on the ball and already being a vocal presence in the side.
The statistics back up how well Reis fared against Plymouth as well.
| VITOR REIS STATS VS PLYMOUTH | |
| DRIBBLED PAST | 0 |
| HEADED CLEARANCES | 7 |
| RECOVERIES | 2 |
| TACKLES WON | 1/1 |
| DUELS WON | 11/16 |
| PASSES COMPLETED | 87/93 (94%) |
The highly-rated defender won the most duels (11) and completed the most passes (87) out of any player on the pitch, which speaks volumes of how complete a prospect he already is.
Reis was not even dribbled past once and in the air, he was a force to be reckoned with — making seven clearances.
All in all, Pep Guardiola will be over the moon as in the young defender and O’Reilly, he has two potential stars on his hands.
