Arsenal v Manchester City: Carabao Cup quarter-final – live! | Football

4.54pm EST 16:54 Full-time: Arsenal 1-4 Man City City march into the semi-finals. They deserved their win but this was a def...

4.54pm EST16:54

Full-time: Arsenal 1-4 Man City

City march into the semi-finals. They deserved their win but this was a defeat to tease Arsenal, who were occasionally competitive but ultimately deficient in too many aspects. At first it looked like Arteta’s team would be humiliated, as they conceded after two minutes and were totally outplayed. But they fought back and scored a nice equaliser, only to gift City the lead again early in the second half and then fade sadly. Some of their young players showed enough quality to sustain hope, although the most promising of them, Martinelli, hobbled off with an injury. Woe is Arsenal.

4.50pm EST16:50

90+1 min: Mahrez shuffles i from the right, faces up Kolasinac and then tries to smuggle a shot past the defender and into the net. But Runarsson isn’t going to be diddled by the winger for a second time so he gets down quickly to make a save.

4.47pm EST16:47

87 min: Aguero tees up Zinchenko for a shot from 20 yards … and the defender misses by much more than that, sending the ball skyward for a great conjunction with Jupiter and Saturn.

4.45pm EST16:45

85 min: An audacious and skill run by Balogun, who makes good ground before tucking a nice pass into Pépé. The Ivorian tries to curl one into the top corner from the edge of the box but it whizzes just wide. But one positive from today for Arsenal is that some of their up-and-coming players – such as Balogun, Willock, Smith-Rowe and Martinelli – have shown glimpses of real quality and gumption.

4.42pm EST16:42

83 min: Foden gallops from half-way towards the Arsenal box, looking very dangerous and elegant … until Gabriel puts a stop to his mischief-making with a well-timed challenge. “As a Spurs fan I now get more entertainment watching Arsenal lose than staying glued to the TV screen waiting for the three minutes in a Spurs game when my team do something exciting,” confesses Ben Hayes, whose Spurs fan credentials I have not verified.

4.40pm EST16:40

80 min: Walker, on in place of Rodri, loses possession on the right. Arsenal work it all the way back into their own box and then play their way forward again quite nicely before Walker intervenes, beating Kolasinac to a well-intentioned through-ball from Smith-Rowe. “A point of order regarding Joe Pearson’s comment [69 mins],” interrupts Jim Dunker. “Joe did not follow logical syllogism, and therefore his conclusion is faulty. If ‘better managers’ tend to follow the latter re-organisation model, then ‘Arteta is not a better manager’ and it fails to close the loop (allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions, so it does not merit saying anything at all).”

4.37pm EST16:37

77 min: Arsenal substitution: Balogun on, Lacazette off

Man City substitution: Aguero on, Jesus off.

4.35pm EST16:35

76 min: In a way this was the best possible draw for Arsenal. Losing to City is no scandal. If they’d been pitted against Brentford or their old friends Stoke, Arteta could have been in real bother.

4.33pm EST16:33

Arsenal 1-4 Man City (Laporte 73)

Mahrez rolls a short corner to Foden, who clips a beautiful cross towards the back post, where Laporte is one of two City players unmarked. Mustafi and Kolasinac assume the spectator role as they watch the Frenchman nod gratefully into the net.

Aymeric Laporte (centre) heads in Manchester City’s fourth goal of the game. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Images

Arsenal’s keeper Runar Alex Runarsson and Shkodran Mustafi look dejected after Aymeric Laporte scored Manchester City’s fourth goal. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

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4.30pm EST16:30

71 min: Sergio Aguero’s peeling off his tracksuit bottoms. You can almost hear Arsenal’s defenders sighing …

4.28pm EST16:28

69 min: Lacazette bangs a shot into the sidenetting from a difficult angle after nice service by Smith-Rowe. Meanwhile, my mention of Ozil elicited this mail from Joe Pearson. “Back when I worked in an office, occasionally I was asked to spearhead a reorganisation or merger. There are two ways to approach reorgs: decide on the organisation and find people to fit, or look at the people you have and build an organisation around them that emphasises their strengths and minimises their weaknesses. Better managers invariably lean toward the latter. Arteta is not a good manager. QED.”

4.24pm EST16:24

65 min: Cancelo’s cross from the right is cut out, then Ceballos does well to run the ball out from defence before being clattered from behind by Silva. That’s a booking for the Portuguese, who won’t be allowed contest the semi-final.

4.21pm EST16:21

GOAL! Arsenal 1-3 Man City (Foden 59)

City seal the game – surely – with a wonderful counter-attack. Fernandinho led it, romping deep into opposing territory before playing a one-two and slipping a nice pass through to Foden, who flicked it past the out-rushing Runarsson. Replays suggest Foden may have been fractionally offside, but there’s no VAR in this competition but feel free to draw squiggly lines on your own screen if you’re missing that side of things.

Phil Foden scores Manchester City’s third goal. Photograph: Manchester City FC/Getty Images

Foden celebrates his goal. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Images

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4.18pm EST16:18

58 min: Willock threads a pass towards Nkettiah, but Dias slides in to poke it away. Willock has flickered today, occasionally hinting at becoming the creative midfield passer that Arsenal have lacked since the retirement of Mesut Ozil. What? Oh yes, I forgot.

4.14pm EST16:14

GOAL! Arsenal 1-2 Man City (Mahrez 54)

It’s a calamity for Runarsson and Arsenal. The keeper was impeccably positioned to claim the freekick that Mahrez curled around the wall … but he let it slip through his hands and into the net!

Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez (background) takes a free-kick … Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Images

Players watch as Mahrez’s effort beats Arsenal’s goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson to give City back the lead. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP

Mahrez high fives Phil Foden. Photograph: Simon Dael/BPI/Shutterstock

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4.12pm EST16:12

53 min: Mahrez tries to wriggles his way past Gabriel, who brings him down on the edge of the area, two yards to the right of the D.

4.10pm EST16:10

51 min: Dias tries to lay the ball into the path of Cancelo but overhits it, sending it right out of play. That sums up a scruffy start to the second half by both teams, with neither able to put together any move worthy of the name.

4.08pm EST16:08

49 min: Arsenal substitution: Pépé on, Martinelli off. the teenager is at least able to hobble off by himself.

4.07pm EST16:07

48 min: Oh dear. Martinelli is down again, lying on his back and exhaling dolefully as the physio attends to him…

4.04pm EST16:04

46 min: The players are back, including Martinelli, who has presumably overcome the pain caused by that clash with Steffen.

4.00pm EST16:00

“That Steffen tackle on Martinellii was definitely one of those that only a keeper gets away with,” interjects Rob Lowery. “He got to the ball but had less control than a 747 with its rudder jammed.” Yep, keepers are the only players who are allowed to launch themselves at the ball on the understanding that it is up to everyone else to get the hell out of their way.

3.51pm EST15:51

Half-time: Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Amazingly, Arsenal deserve to be level. They started terribly and looked pitifully inferior for about half an hour but Arteta adjusted tactics, Arsenal found some vim and they drew level with a nice goal, with Martinelli and Lacazette combining well. Since then it’s been pretty even, though Runarsson had to make one excellent ave to stop Jesus from putting City back in front. Jesus has generally looked sharp but City’s other attacking players, especially Foden and Mahrez, have been disappointing, as has City’s lack of moxie when Arsenal finally started fighting back.

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3.47pm EST15:47

45 min: Martinelli is helped to his feet by the physio and is able to limp off the pitch. Once he gets to the sideline, he starts trying to walk off the injury and indicates that he would like to come back on to the pitch to try to continue playing. So thankfully it looks like he is not seriously injured. Probably best to withdraw hm at half-time, however.

3.45pm EST15:45

43 min: Willock splits the City defence with a splendid pass from deep. Martinelli races on to it from the left … but Steffen hurtles way out of his box to get there first, sliding in to kick clear. And he seems to catch Martinelli too, because the youngster is down and in need of treatment. Martinelli, just back from injury, looks to be in severe anguish…

Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli reacts as he leaps over Manchester City’s goalkeeper Zack Steffen. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP

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3.42pm EST15:42

41 min: Runarasson makes a superb save to deny Jesus, rushing out and spreading himself bravely in front of the striker to block a shot from 16 yards after the ball ran through to Jesus thanks to a feint by Foden.

Arsenal’s Runar Alex Runarsson saves a shot from Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

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3.40pm EST15:40

40 min: Arsenal are looking admirably feisty now. They’re winning duels, especially in midfield, and generally making things much tougher for City, who haven’t yet adjusted to not being totally dominant.

3.37pm EST15:37

38 min: Arsenal appear to have switched to a back four, with Maitland-Niles pushing into midfield.

3.36pm EST15:36

35 min: Steffen tries to play out from the back but passes straight to Willock, who feeds Ceballos at the edge of the City box. Defenders scramble to surround the Spaniard and eventually whack the ball to safety. From being utterly serene, City suddenly seem a tad jittery.

3.34pm EST15:34

34 min: That’s only the second goal City have conceded in their last nine games and they really only have themselves to blame for it; they lapsed into complacency because of Arsenal’s passivity, so when Martinelli introduced a bit of spunk, they were founding wanting. And now Arsenal have their danders up…

3.33pm EST15:33

GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Man City (Lacazette 31)

From out of nothing Arsenal have equalised! Martinelli created it with gumption and finesse. First he foraged down the left and sent over a cross that eventually came back to him. Then he clipped a dainty cross from the byline to Lacazette, who angled a fine header back in the direction from which it came and into the bottom corner of the net, past a motionless Steffen.

Alexandre Lacazette celebrates after scoring Arsenal’s equaliser. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP

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3.29pm EST15:29

27 min: Cancelo angles a freekick from the right towards Rodrigo, but Willock manages to turn it out for a corner. Before the setpiece is taken, Ceballos collapses in the box clutching his face, drawing attention to the fact that Fernandinho tries to brush him out of the way as they jostled for position. There’s no VAR in operation today, so no opportunity for anyone to scrutinise that in slow motion and conclude that it was a heavyweight punch.

3.25pm EST15:25

26 min: A beautiful turn by Jesus mid-way inside the Arsenal half bewilders Mustafi. All the defender can do by way of response is tug the Brazilian to the ground. That’s a yellow card in anyone’s book, including Mr Attwell’s.

Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal fouls Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City. Photograph: Simon Dael/BPI/Shutterstock

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3.24pm EST15:24

24 min: Mahrez curls the freekick into the wall, which reroutes it out for a corner.

3.23pm EST15:23

23 min: Elneny booked for a desperate lung at Jesus, who was scampering towards the area. Freekick to City in a mighty dangerous positon…

3.22pm EST15:22

21 min: Mahrez delivers a corner from the right. Laporte rises highest amid three Arsenal defenders and sends a downward header bouncing just wide from seven yards.

3.22pm EST15:22

20 min: Cancelo collects a pass from Silva in the right-hand side of the box Arsenal box. He picks out Mahrez near the penalty spot, and the Algerian’s shot is diverted wide by Ceballos. “That photo of the first goal is a lovely Christmas image, Paul,” carol-sings Justin Kavanagh. “Jesus is (air)borne, escaping all pursuers, while the Three Wise Men can only follow his star offering gifts.”

3.19pm EST15:19

18 min: After some energetic flustering by Arsenal around the City box, Steffen is forced into action of the first time, albeit only to welly clear a pass back by Zinchenko under moderate pressure.

Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette tussles with Manchester City’s Rodrigo. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

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3.18pm EST15:18

16 min: Cancelo fires a bobbling cross from the right towards the edge of the area, where Foden tries to hook it over his head towards goal. It’s an imaginative effort but he got nowhere near enough power into the shot trouble Runarasson.

3.16pm EST15:16

14 min: Given how much of the ball they’ve had, City have been disappointingly short of creativity so far.

3.13pm EST15:13

12 min: Ceballos with the outswinging corner. Lacazette with the wayward header at the near post.

3.12pm EST15:12

11 min: Kolasinac shows a bit of zest to step in and nick the ball off Mahrez wide on the left. Arsenal then string together a couple of passes in their own half before sending one long for Willock to chase. The youngster forces Laporte to concede a corner.

3.11pm EST15:11

8 min: It’s all so easy for City. Arsenal are pretty much letting them have the ball until they approach their goal, seemingly concentrating on not conceding more rather than trying to mount a comeback just yet.

3.08pm EST15:08

6 min: Gabriel strides out of defence to try to dispossess Silva in midfield. His challenge is too robust and he concedes a freekick, but at least he showed a bit of vim, which has been otherwise lacking from Arsenal in these early stages. The polite observation would be that they look short of confidence.

3.06pm EST15:06

3 min: Regarding the goal, it was a peach of a cross from Zinchenko but Jesus really should haven’t have been allowed to escape the attentions of Mustafi so easily, and Gabriel, and Runarasson wasn’t too clever either.

3.04pm EST15:04

GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Man City (Jesus 2)

Have Arsenal even touched the ball yet? I don’t think so! City stroke it around for nearly two minutes before working Zinchenko into a crossing position down the left. The Ukrainian sends an out-swinging cross from the byline towards the near post, where Jesus arrives to nod into the net with no defender near him! Oh dear, Arsenal.

An unmarked Gabriel Jesus heads Manchester City into an early lead. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Images

Here’s a view of the header from the other end of the pitch. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

Jesus celebrates his goal. Photograph: Manchester City FC/Getty Images

And then Oleksandr Zinchenko and teammates rush to congratulate Jesus. Photograph: Manchester City FC/Getty Images

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3.00pm EST15:00

1 min: Off we go. In am empty Emirates, the black-clad visitors get the game going…

2.59pm EST14:59

“As a Spurs I can’t believe what I am about to write,” begins Jerome Lambe. You think Tottenham are going to win the Premier League? “I think the media have gone OTT on Arteta. I for one would like to see Arsenal get back their mojo. Hope they get the result tonight. I want to see a London derby final.” Hasn’t the harshest criticism of Arteta been from Arsenal fans, rather than the nasty media?

2.57pm EST14:57

Guardiola speaks

Keeping his answers to the point, Guardiola explains the thinking behind his team selection thus: “To win the game.”

Asked whether Sergio Aguero will appear off the bench, he replied: “Maybe. He’s not ready to play 90 minutes but he will get some minutes.”

He concludes by noting the strangeness of the scenes he witnessed on the way to the Emirates, with the English capital in lockdown. “We saw London in a way we didn’t expect. It’s so sad to see this marvellous city this way.”

2.40pm EST14:40

Arteta speaks

Explaining his team selection, he says: “We have to rotate the squad and we had some injuries as well, some people we had to leave behind. It’s still a really competitive team. We have put in players who have performed really well this season in other competitions so I’m really excited.”

Asked how long he expects Martinelli to be able to play today, he replies: “We will see howe he copes. He has been out a long time. But he’s full of passion and energy and I think he will add something different to the squad.”

In sum, he says: “We need to show the competitive edge … individual battles are key to winning these games.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta dispenses some pearls of wisdom to Sky TV ahead of kick-off. Photograph: Simon Dael/BPI/Shutterstock

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2.26pm EST14:26

The winners of this quarter-final could meet Brentford in one of the semi-finals, as Thomas Frank’s team have just knocked out Newcastle. The other potential opponents will be in action in tomorrow’s quarter-finals: Stoke v Spurs, and Everton v Manchester United.

2.18pm EST14:18

The news before kickoff is good for Arsenal, as 19-year-old Gabriel Martinelli is back in the starting lineup for the first time since suffering an injury in March. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of form before his own recent injury, this is a chance for the youngster to provide at least part of the answer to the goal problem that has afflicted Arsenal this season. That still leaves the question, of course, about how Arsenal are going to create chances for anyone to score …

Incredibly, that is a problem that has also befallen City this season. Guardiola gives Mahrez, Silva, Foden and Jesus a chance to address that today, and has fearsome options on the bench, to boot.

Arsneal’s Gabriel Martinelli warms up. Photograph: Javier García/BPI/Shutterstock

Updated
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2.08pm EST14:08

Teams

City: Steffen; Cancelo Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko; Rodrigo, Fernandinho, Silva; Mahrez, Jesus, Foden

Subs: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Gundogan, Torres, Sterling, Aguero

Arsenal: Runarsson; Mustafi, Gabriel, Kolasinac; Soares, Elneny, Ceballos, Willock, Maitland-Niles; Lacazette, Martinelli

Subs: Leno, Tierney, Mari, Smith-Rowe, Pépé, Balogun, Nkettiah

Referee: S Attwell

11.17am EST11:17

Preamble

Hello. Manchester City used to be Mikel Arteta’s happy place. He did his job, people praised him, and the team he coached usually won. Heady days. Now Arteta takes on Man City in charge of an Arsenal team that has not won a match in a domestic competition for nearly two months and doubts are rife as to whether the manager knows what to do and how to get players back on board with his method and manner. After a bright start at Arsenal, Arteta seems engulfed in gloom. But a glimpse of silverware would bring some pre-Christmas cheer.

Arsenal beat Leicester and Liverpool(‘s second teams) in this tournament earlier in the season but City are likely to prove tougher. They tend to take this tournament seriously, winning it in five of the last seven years. So although Pep Guardiola will probably not deploy his strongest available side, he will show little mercy to his former assistant. As for Arteta, does he even know what his strongest side is any more?

Updated
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