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IMAGE: Manchester Metropolis’s Nathan Ake, proper, celebrates with team-mates after scoring the primary objective in opposition to Tottenham Hotspur on Friday. {Photograph}: David Klein/Reuters
FA Cup holders Manchester Metropolis left it late to guide their place within the fifth spherical with Nathan Ake’s scrappy 88th-minute effort clinching a 1-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Friday.
Metropolis had by no means received at Tottenham since they moved into their new stadium in 2019, nor even managed to attain a objective, however Ake flicked in from close-range after house keeper Guglielmo Vicario flapped at a Kevin De Bruyne nook and the ball fell free.
Tottenham may have few actual complaints as they had been second-best for lengthy durations in opposition to Pep Guardiola’s facet and barely pressured Stefan Ortega right into a save of word.
“At the moment we carried out extremely nicely. All the things happy me, from minute one to 95 minute. We try to defend the title and coming right here is tough,” Guardiola mentioned.
“We create lots in each sport and have braveness with or with out the ball so I am actually happy.”
IMAGE: Nathan Ake scored within the 88th minute when he flicked in from close-range after Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario flapped at a Kevin De Bruyne nook and the ball fell free. {Photograph}: David Klein/Reuters
Three days after reaching the League Cup remaining, eight-time FA Cup winners Chelsea had been held to a 0-0 draw at house by Aston Villa whereas it additionally ended 0-0 at Ashton Gate between second-tier Bristol Metropolis and Premier League Nottingham Forest.
There have been targets at Sheffield Wednesday though no winner as they drew 1-1 with Coventry Metropolis.
Manchester Metropolis’s report at Tottenham has been one thing of an anomaly contemplating their success all over the place else.
That they had misplaced their final 4 Premier League video games there with out scoring and in addition suffered a 1-0 defeat there within the Champions League semi-final of 2019 earlier than going out in an exhilarating second leg they received 4-3.
By the point the newest duel reached the dying minutes, efforts by Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne meant Metropolis had gone unrewarded for 101 efforts at objective at Tottenham’s grand new area which on Friday welcomed 9,000 visiting Metropolis followers.
However when Vicario was unable to carry the ball in a crowded space beneath stress from Ruben Dias, Ake pounced.
IMAGE: Manchester Metropolis’s Oscar Bobb scores a objective that was later disallowed. {Photograph}: David Klein/Reuters
Metropolis had dominated the primary half with Oscar Bobb having an effort dominated out early for offside whereas Tottenham, normally so attack-minded, had been pressured to defend desperately.
The second half was extra even till Metropolis upped the ante by sending on De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku with 25 minutes remaining. Silva was denied by Vicario and De Bruyne fired inches broad after a mistake by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Not even the arrival of playmaker James Maddison off the bench for his first look since sustaining an ankle damage in November may encourage the hosts who had one shot heading in the right direction.
It was the primary time Tottenham had failed to attain in a aggressive match since supervisor Ange Postecoglou took cost.
“We labored onerous to remain within the sport and conceded so late. However they had been the higher facet,” Postecoglou conceded.
“They make you undergo at factors so we needed to work onerous and for probably the most half we defended nicely.”
IMAGE: Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans reacts after a missed probability in opposition to Chelsea. {Photograph}: Tony O’Brien/Reuters
Chelsea had received eight successive FA Cup ties at Stamford Bridge however may discover no well beyond Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez because the guests held out for a replay at Villa Park.
Villa had the ball within the web within the twelfth minute however Douglas Luiz’s effort was dominated out for handball.
“In fact we needed to win. We weren’t medical sufficient. However we created probabilities and we have to hold believing and now we transfer on,” Chelsea supervisor Mauricio Pochettino mentioned.
Sheffield Wednesday earned one other crack at second-tier rivals Coventry Metropolis because of Djeidi Gassama’s late equaliser after Victor Torp had given the guests the lead.
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