January 28, (THEWILL) – Manchester City defeated Arsenal in a closely contested match at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, knocking the Gunners out of the FA Cup’s fourth round.
Nathan Ake was the unlikely hero for the hosts, scoring the only goal of the match in the second half.
The match started brightly for Arsenal, with right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu testing City’s goalkeeper Stefan Ortega within the first few minutes. Leandro Trossard also caused trouble for City on the left wing, exposing the team’s preference to play right-back Rico Lewis as a central midfielder.
Despite several opportunities for both teams, the first half ended scoreless. Both teams made multiple changes in the second half in an effort to gain an advantage. City’s persistence paid off when substitute Julian Alvarez’s shot rebounded off the post and was collected by Jack Grealish, who then passed the ball to Ake for the game-winning goal.
City will now await the draw for the next round of the FA Cup, while Arsenal turn their attention back to the Premier League as they travel to Everton.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
