It was apprentice taking on his master in the FA Cup Fourth Round, as The Gunners' Arteta spent several seasons under City's Guardiola's watchful eye as assistant manager. Experience ultimately proved key though as the hosts edged out a nervy one-nil win.
The away side were the strongest in the encounter's earliest exchanges, going close with a few good chances. Most of these were product of the left wing, with debutant Leandro Trossard coming into his own. The ex-Brighton man was repeatedly allowed into the home side's box, curling in good crosses for both Nketiah and Tomiyasu, neither of whom were able to convert.
This initial pressure going forward did not put City off, as Guardiola's side soon found their rhythm, dominating waves of midfield possession. Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne saw much of the ball, but he was unable to muster anything to liven up the home fans, his closest effort curling just round Turner's far post. It was a similar story with Norweigan machine Haaland, who had a couple of sniffs at goal, but the Arsenal defence did well to keep him at bay.
Arsenal's recent momentum was enough to see them perform well at times, as even the seven changes which the manager had made from the last-gasp victory against Man United did not seem to affect their solid shape across the park. This was not enough to detract from City's dominance for the majority of the first period, though.
The second forty-five started along the same vein, with City eager to get forward whenever possible. However, the longer the home side were unable to find the opener, the more frustrated they were getting, resorting to bringing on fresh faces to try and break down the visitors. And it clearly had the desired effect, as City soon found the opener.
England playmaker Jack Grealish was the brains behind the move, as he toyed with the Arsenal defenders down the left flank before laying it back to Nathan Ake. The burley defender then calmly slotted it home, just out of Turner's reach. This blow soon forced Arteta into some changes, with more regular first-team players entering the fray. Zinchenko and Martinelli's presence clearly inspired the visitors, as their performance immediately improved.
Despite successfully seeing off a brief period of City domination, the Gunners kept their heads in the game, and gradually worked their way back onto the front foot. The longer the tie went on, the more understandably desperate Arsenal were getting. A couple of corners in quick succession saw Martinelli roar up the travelling fans, who had been very vocal all night long. Their stellar support was ultimately to no avail, as Guardiola's men remained solid at the back, edging themselves over the line.
This result will give the Mancunians heaps of confidence going into these two's match-up in a few weeks when they face off again, that being in the league. As for the cup, City will have all eyes on the draw as they are through to the fifth round.
January 27, 2023