Nathan Ake was Manchester Metropolis’s unlikely hero as Pep Guardiola received his newest battle with former protege Mikel Arteta, a 1-0 FA Cup victory over Arsenal on the Etihad Stadium.
In a fourth-round battle between shock Premier League leaders Arsenal and a second-placed Metropolis facet who’re clinging to their coat-tails within the high flight, it was defender Ake who made the distinction on Friday.
He delivered the breakthrough within the sixty fourth minute, with a pointy side-footed end discovering the bottom-right nook, out of the attain of goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The highest two have nonetheless to fulfill within the Premier League this season, with this tie a style of what’s to return when these video games happen in February and April.
FULL-TIME | By to the fifth spherical!
1-0 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/cfLXAQ5a38
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) January 27, 2023
Guardiola’s Metropolis started strongly, however Arsenal had an enormous likelihood within the fifth minute when Takehiro Tomiyasu’s highly effective strike from simply contained in the penalty space was palmed away by Stefan Ortega.
Tomiyasu was then available on the different finish to maintain out Erling Haaland after the striker regarded to loop an overhead kick previous Turner, who had raced off his line to make an interception.
Arsenal’s new winger Leandro Trossard was denied by a wise save from Ortega after taking up Metropolis right-back Rico Lewis and lashing a left-footed strike in the direction of the far nook.
Kevin De Bruyne despatched a curling shot from simply exterior the penalty space a yard large of the left put up, whereas Metropolis suffered an harm blow simply earlier than half-time as John Stones went off with an obvious hamstring drawback.
Early within the second half, Turner reacted sharply to push away a low cross from De Bruyne that was supposed to tee up Haaland for a tap-in
Metropolis launched Julian Alvarez and Kyle Walker simply earlier than the hour mark and commenced to look sharper. Alvarez went shut by hitting the suitable put up, a mere 10 seconds earlier than Ake slotted Metropolis forward with a composed end.
Arteta known as on reinforcements, with captain Martin Odegaard among the many gamers despatched on from the Arsenal bench, however the Gunners couldn’t drive a replay.