Manchester City no longer have to reckon with Arsenal in the FA Cup. In the fourth round of the national cup tournament, they won 1-0 on Friday evening the Gunners, with Nathan Aké after the break as match winner with a nice goal. Both sides also battle each other in the Premier League, with Arsenal five points clear of City and a game in hand.
Pep Guardiola did not choose to rest his star players. As a result, Erling Braut Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish appeared at the kick-off. Colleague Mikel Arteta also had a strong line-up in store, although Martin Ødegaard started on the bench. Manchester City started sharply and was close to 1-0 after ten minutes. An ambitious bicycle kick from Haaland was headed away in time by Takehiro Tomiyasu. Arsenal didn’t show much in the first half from an offensive point of view, although Stefan Ortega had to act on a curling shot from starting debutant Leandro Trossard. Fellow striker Eddie Nketiah, the hero against Manchester United on Sunday, did not hit a volley well enough to score.
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— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) January 27, 2023
Manchester City kicked up the pace after the break. The first good chance, however, came in the name of Fábio Vieira, who saw his lob disappear next to the goal. A few minutes later, the opening goal fell on the other side. After an individual action by Grealish, the ball ended up in the box with Aké, who had come along. The defender remained calm and pushed the ball into the far corner with the inside of his foot: 1-0. Great joy for the goalscorer, his fellow players and the fans of Manchester City.
Arteta stepped in and brought in former City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli. Shortly after his return, the latter tried to reach Nketiah at the far post in an attack, but it was Manuel Akanji who saved the home team in time. Ødegaard also came within the lines in the final phase, but it was not enough for Arsenal. Manchester City had most of the possession and did not allow things to get tense at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola’s team can therefore prepare for the last sixteen in the FA Cup.