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Nathan Ake’s calm finish settled a subdued FA Cup tie between the two best teams in the country

 Updated 
Fri 27 Jan 2023 17.10 ESTFirst published on Fri 27 Jan 2023 13.30 EST
Nathan Ake scores the only goal as Manchester City see off Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Nathan Ake scores the only goal as Manchester City see off Arsenal in the FA Cup. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images
Nathan Ake scores the only goal as Manchester City see off Arsenal in the FA Cup. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images

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The matchwinner Nathan Ake speaks

I thought we deserved to win. We were better in the second half, but it was tough – they press very high and it was hard to play out. We had to use Erling more.

[On the goal] It was a good pass from Jack and I think it’s the first one I’ve scored with my right foot, so I’m pleased with that.

There’s still more to come from the team. Today was more about resilience; we stayed strong and made sure we didn’t concede.

City love to win domestic cups under Pep Guardiola. Even at this early stage, there aren’t too many teams left in the tournament for them to fear.

Mikel Arteta won’t say as much in public, but I doubt he’ll be too disappointed that Arsenal are out of the FA Cup. The Premier League is all that matters, and this probably increases their chance of winning it.

Full time: Man City 1-0 Arsenal

Peep peep! Nathan Ake’s cool finish was enough for Manchester City to beat Arsenal in a disappointing match. It was a strange, subdued game, with few shots on target at either end, and it’s fair to assume the league game at the Emirates in a couple of weeks will be far more intense.

In fact, we may have just seen a bit of that intensity because it looked like Granit Xhaka and Erling Haaland were exchanging unpleasantries after the final whistle.

90+5 min Zinchenko, already booked, is late on Bernardo Silva and is a bit fortunate not to receive a yellow card. Zinchenko is furious, berating himself before play resumes.

88 min Martinelli gets round the back again. His cross takes a couple of deflections before Ortega pounces theatrically on the ball, like a winger scoring a try, in the six-yard box.

87 min Xhaka slides a brilliant through pass towards Martinelli, and Ortega flies from his line to dive at Martinelli’s feet and claim the ball. Fine goalkeeping, though ultimately it didn’t matter as Martinelli was offside.

85 min Martinelli’s inswinger is headed away well by Rodri. Vieira gives the ball back to Martinelli, who scurries into the six-yard box from the left and pokes a cutback that is pushed away at the near post by Ortega.

84 min A better spell for Arsenal, with Odegaard getting involved for the first time since coming on. Zinchenko’s pass towards Martinelli is headed behind for a corner by Walker.

81 min Alvarez has another pop from distance. This one swirls down the throat of Turner, who makes a comfortable save.

Julian Alvarez shoots at goal. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
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76 min Vieira fouls Grealish, who gives him a mouthful in return. Arsenal had a really good spell straight after the goal but City have been much more comfortable since then.

74 min “I’ve no dog in this fight and am enjoying the game,” says Martin Logan, “but I’d enjoy it so much more if Matterface would stop giving stats from 1856.”

I’m not really in any position to criticise someone for harking back to the past.

Sam Matterface. Photograph: BBC
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69 min Arsenal have responded really well to going behind, and at the moment they are pinning City back.

67 min: Great defending from Laporte! Xhaka, in the inside-left channel, curls a stunning cross towards Nketiah at the far post. He is shaping to shoot – and almost certainly score – when Laporte stretches to poke the ball behind for a corner. Fantastic defending.

Eddie Nketiah is so close to an equaliser for Arsenal. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
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66 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli replace Kieran Tierney and the impressive Leandro Trossard.

It all started when Alvarez turned, 25 yards from goal, and crashed a superb shot that beat Turner and hit the far post. Grealish collected the rebound, protected the ball for a few seconds and then reversed a clever pass to the supporting Ake, 12 yards out. Ake had to shoot first time, with Saliba coming to meet him, and he gently passed the ball into the far corner with his right foot. That was such a calm, precise finish.

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GOAL! Man City 1-0 Arsenal (Ake 64)

All that attacking talent on the field, and Nathan Ake breaks the deadlock.

Nathan Ake breaks the deadlock! Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters
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64 min Apparently Thomas Partey took a knock to the ribs in the first half, so I’d imagine he was substitute as a precaution.

62 min Mikel Arteta will be thrilled with how comfortable Arsenal have been so far. It’s not quite a reverse side, but it’s not far off – at the moment they have four of their best XI on the field, and they have been the equal of City.

61 min City have changed shape slightly – Alvarez is playing behind Haaland, with De Bruyne to the right and Grealish on the left.

60 min “In their last game against Arsenal, City’s only shot on target before their stoppage time winner was a penalty,” says Zach Neeley. “They have zero so far today. If Arsenal are heading toward another moral victory, I hope it’s to get it out of their system, because after today those won’t be good enough.”

59 min A long ball forward is headed up in the air by Nketiah on the edge of the area. It drops for Vieira, who swishes a volley wide of the far post. He had the time to take a touch there.

58 min: Double substitution for City Kyle Walker and Julian Alvarez replace Rico Lewis and Riyad Mahrez.

55 min Turner is okay to continue and makes an important save from De Bruyne’s sliderule cross. Haaland was waiting behind him to score.

City are starting to look better in attack.

52 min Mahrez clips a nice pass into Lewis, running into space on the right side of the area. He tries to hook the ball across goal from a tight angle but screws it into the side netting.

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