Man City eliminate Tottenham from FA Cup

Nathan Ake's controversial goal helped Man City beat their arch-rivals Tottenham 1-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

In the 88th minute, midfielder Kevin de Bruyne took a corner kick from the left, heading straight for the goal. Defender Ruben Dias was positioned close to goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, contesting the ball. The Tottenham goalkeeper tried to punch it away, but Dias's touch deflected the ball right in front of the goal, allowing Ake to easily tap it into the empty net. Referee Paul Tierney awarded the goal to Man City, and VAR did not intervene. The home players protested but could not change the referee's decision, while Vicario also received a yellow card.

Nathan Ake (left) taps the ball into an empty net in the 88th minute, scoring the only goal of the match. Photo: Reuters — Nathan Ake (left) taps the ball into an empty net in the 88th minute, scoring the only goal of the match between Manchester City and Tottenham in London, England, in the fourth round of the FA Cup on January 26, 2024. Photo: *Reuters*

In the remaining minutes, Man City mainly wasted time by bringing the ball close to Tottenham's corner flag. In the final minute of added time, hundreds of away fans turned their backs to the pitch, linked arms, and performed their familiar poznan dance. They were certain of victory for their team.

After the final whistle, manager Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City substitutes went onto the pitch to celebrate with the visiting fans. The 54-year-old strategist was visibly delighted, constantly putting his arms around his players. When he met De Bruyne, he even kissed the midfielder on the cheek. Manchester City celebrated the victory as if they had just won the championship, as they ended a five-match goalless streak and a series of defeats at Tottenham Hotspur's ground.

Man City had to wait until their 101st shot on this pitch to score their first goal. In contrast, in the match on January 26th, the visitors had 18 shots, but squandered all their opportunities, especially De Bruyne's one-on-one chance in the 82nd minute. Tottenham, on the other hand, were outplayed, having only one shot, a chance for Brennan Johnson early in the second half.

Despite having far fewer shots on goal, Tottenham created a decent game with numerous counter-attacks, but their decisive passes lacked accuracy. Coach Ange Postecoglou continued to be without captain Son Heung-min and midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Malang Sarr due to international commitments or injuries. As a result, the team's attacking power was significantly reduced.

Man City were also without Erling Haaland, who hadn't yet returned from injury, while De Bruyne only came on as a substitute. Young players like Oscar Bobb, Julian Alvarez, and Phil Foden didn't create much of an impact in the first 60 minutes. Bobb put the ball into the net early in the game, but he was offside by a small margin.

As usual, Man City played significantly better after De Bruyne came on. Thanks to this, the reigning champions extended their winning streak across all competitions to six matches. Their next opponent is Burnley in the Premier League on February 1st.

Xuan Binh

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