- Argentina international Sergio Aguero made it a dozen goals for the season by netting in this tie - Héctor Fabio Mina Tovar
Arsenal 0-1 Manchester City
Tuesday, November 29 2011
Emirates Stadium, London
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Attendance: 60,028
Team News
There were wholesale changes to both sides from their Premier League exploits over the weekend. Johan Djourou was the only player Arsene Wenger retained from the draw against Fulham. The Gunners went 4-4-2 with Marouane Chamakh partnering Park Chu-Young in attack. Youngsters Francois Coquelin, Emmanuel Frimpong, Ignasi Miquel and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were all handed starts.
Samir Nasri and Kolo Toure faced their former club in Manchester City’s ranks. There was also rare first-team action for Nedum Onuoha and Owen Hargreaves. Gareth Barry and Mario Balotelli were unavailable through suspension. Aleksandar Kolarov and Adam Johnson flanked Edin Dzeko up front.
Match Report
Johnson had the first shot in ange,r narrowly missing the target when the City winger came inside off the right. Arsenal went straight up the other end and carved out a great chance to take the lead themselves. A move through midfield saw Coquelin’s deep cross for Park only just kept out at the back post by Costel Pantilimon.
The home side continued to grow in confidence. Coquelin was an effort deflected wide before Chamberlain had the confidence to let fly from range on his weaker foot. Pantilimon had to tip the England youth international’s shot over. City were struggling to handle the threat down the right and Kolarov who was carrying a slight knock made way for Sergio Aguero on the half hour. The tie was still in the balance at the break.
Dzeko flashed an effort wide from the edge of the Gunners box early on in the second half. At the other end of the field, Chamberlain continued his personal duel with Pantilimon, drawing a couple of parrying saves from the Romanian. City continued to make chances of their own though with Zabaleta’s industry down the left setting up Dzeko, but he hooked the ball wide.
Arsenal’s skipper for the night Yossi Benayoun fed Chamakh, but the Moroccan was forced wide by resolute visiting defending and couldn’t find the target. The introduction of Gervinho saw Wenger’s side revert to their favoured 4-3-3 formation. Chamberlain continued to be instrumental as the home team pressed for a winner.
Zabaleta crossed for Dzeko again, but the Bosnian headed off target; the prospect of extra time loomed large at the Emirates. The tie was won in the regulation ninety minutes however when City sprung a clinical counter from a Gunners corner. Dzeko found Johnson and the England winger’s reverse pass allowed Ageuro a clear sight of goal and the Argentine slotted into the corner.
The home side looked to level the score, but with time against them and the final ball eluding them, Arsenal found themselves out of the League Cup. Chamakh was inches away with turning Gervinho’s wicked cross in deep into stoppage time. Talismanic striker Robin van Persie looked on ruefully from the stands as his teammates drew a blank in his absence.
In many respects this game was a tale of two widemen. Chamberlain, a precocious talent at just 18 years of age, carried the most consistent threat for the Gunners. His performance showed a continuing improvement. Johnson, meanwhile, has lit up City’s run in this competition. The architect of Wolves’s downfall in the last round, he again provided a decisive moment of skill and precision to set up the winner in this quarter final.
Mancini’s men go marching on, and appear on course to add more silverware to the FA Cup they won last season. This was Arsenal’s first defeat in eleven matches, but Wenger should be proud of the showings his younger players made. On paper the stronger side won this tie, and it was another harsh lesson for the Gunners and their walk-the-ball-in philosophy, as City put away their only guilt edged chance.
Match Statistics
Teams:
Arsenal: 21 Lukasz Fabianski, 20 Johan Djourou, 6 Laurent Koscielny, 18 Sebastien Squillaci, 49 Ignasi Miquel (5 Thomas Vermaelen 80’), 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (23 Andrey Arshavin 87’), 26 Emmanuel Frimpong, 39 Francois Coquelin, 30 Yossi Benayoun (c), 9 Park Chu-Young (27 Gervinho 68’), 29 Marouane Chamakh 4-4-2
Manchester City: 30 Costel Pantilimon, 24 Nedum Onuoha, 28 Kolo Toure (c), 15 Stefan Savic, 5 Pablo Zabaleta, 20 Owen Hargreaves (62 Abdul Razak 79’), 34 Nigel de Jong, 11 Adam Johnson, 19 Samir Nasri, 13 Aleksandar Kolarov (16 Sergio Aguero 32’), 10 Edin Dzeko 4-2-3-1
Goals: Sergio Aguero 84’
Bookings: Owen Hargreaves 53’
Possession: Arsenal 49% Manchester City 51%
Shots: Arsenal 10 Manchester City 9
On target: Arsenal 7 Manchester City 2
Corners: Arsenal 7 Manchester City 3
Fouls: Arsenal 9 Manchester City 12
