History repeats itself for Arsenal over Man City
Written By: Robert Halter
It dates back to 1932, when Arsenal beat Manchester City 1-0 in a F.A. Cup semi final, and they looked to repeat history in 2017. In the third minute, Leroy Sane provided the platform for Kevin De Bruyne, but he dragged his shot wide to the left. In the fifteenth minute, a cut back from the right by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, was met with a cushioned header by Olivier Giroud, which was caught by Claudio Bravo. But the Citizens responded within sixty seconds, as from Aguero’s delivery, a header by Silva was tipped over the bar by Petr Cech. Following Granit Xhaka’s foul on Fernandinho, a shortly taken free kick by Silva and De Bruyne, was put wide from City captain, Vincent Kompany. After Mesut Ozil was kneed to the floor by Kompany, the free kick from Ozil, was poorly headed out by Aguero, and as the ball was put back in by Giroud, the flag was raised for offside when Koscielny turned the ball into the net. Following an earlier infringement on Silva by Gabriel Paulista, after being unable to shake off the knock, Raheem Sterling took the place of Silva. On twenty five minutes, when Alexis Sanchez pulled down Fernandinho, from De Bruyne’s free kick, as Yaya Toure put the ball across, it was poorly put out by Ramsey, before the ball was blazed past the left post from Sterling. In the thirty eighth minute, after Sterling shrugged off the challenge of Rob Holding, the ball was put into the side netting of the right post by Aguero. It was City’s turn to have a goal ruled out for the ball being out of play from Sane’s cross, before Aguero put the ball over the line off Cech and Sterling also turned the ball in. On fifty one minutes from a De Bruyne corner, a downward header by Nicolas Otamendi went wide of the mark. Finally the Citizens perseverance paid off as Ramsey lost possession to Toure, and with the Arsenal players camped in the City half, Toure sent the ball over to Aguero, who beat off the challenge of Nacho Monreal, to race through and tuck the ball past Cech into the centre of the goal in the sixty second minute. The Gunners were left to chase the game and in the next two minutes, Sanchez combined with Xhaka, before Ozil fired a low drive wide. But Arsenal found a way back when from Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross on the right, Monreal charged forward to clip the ball into the bottom left corner in the seventy first minute. Although on seventy nine minutes, as De Bruyne linked up play with Sterling, as Toure’s first attempt cannoned back off Koscielny, Toure then struck a low effort that Cech touched onto the base of the left post. Three minutes later, the woodwork denied City again, when from De Bruyne’s corner, a header by Fernandinho crashed against the woodwork. Arsenal then switched Giroud with Danny Welbeck. On eighty six minutes, from a ball over by Oxlade-Chamberlain, the ball was swerved left of the target by Welbeck,. Into extra time and a from an Ozil corner, a header by Holding landed on the roof of the crossbar in the ninety seventh minute. City made enforced changes of Fabian Delph for Aguero and Fernando for Fernandinho. Following a push on Welbeck by Kompany, Arsenal took the lead after Ozil’s free kick pinged off Koscielny and was miss kicked by Welbeck before Sanchez hit a right footed strike into the bottom left corner in the hundred and first minute. Another Arsenal change saw Hector Bellerin take over from Oxlade-Chamberlain. At the end of the first period, Welbeck spurned a header wide, off Ozil’s cross. Before the re-start, Man City took off Sterling for Kelechi Iheanacho. The Citizens missed a gilt edge chance when De Bruyne put Delph through but he miss fired to the right on one hundred and seven minutes. Then from a De Bruyne corner, a header by Iheanacho went wide to the right. This was swiftly followed by a move from Jesus Navas, before De Bruyne drove an effort past the right post. Time was running out for City as Toure bent the ball wide from a Gael Clichy assist. At the end Francis Coquelin replaced Ozil before Arsenal booked a F.A. Cup Final with Chelsea