Sanchez sends Arsenal into FA Cup final with extra time win over Manchester City
Alexis Sanchez ensured Arsenal's stormy season will end with an FA Cup final after securing a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in extra time at Wembley Stadium yesterday.
The Chilean striker struck in the 101st minute to secure an all-London May 27 final against Chelsea. Arsenal is chasing a third title in four seasons in the competition that has provided a comfort blanket for Arsene Wenger during a 13year Premier League trophy drought.
But with Arsenal languishing in seventh place in the Premier League, and set to miss out on the Champions League, the heat remains on the manager whose contract expires at the end of the season.
"People can question my decisions but not loyalty and commitment to this club," Wenger said coyly about his managerial future after goals from defender Nacho Monreal and Sanchez gave him a shot at a seventh FA Cup triumph next month.
But Pep Guardiola's first season in charge of City will end without silverware, and he even faces a fight for a Champions League spot. That's not what City was expecting when it hired the serial winner who had won titles in every campaign with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
But Guardiola was outwitted by Wenger, who has adopted the three-man defense that has served the Premier League's top two teams, Chelsea and Tottenham, so well this season.
"Maybe we found in a period we needed a bit more security ... a bit more defensive stability," Wenger said.
Uncharacteristically, Arsenal's defense was holding up strongly, denying City space to threaten Petr Cech's goal. For an hour at least, until the Gunners were caught out by a ruthless counterattack.
Aaron Ramsey conceded possession on the edge of the City penalty area as he dithered on the ball. Yaya Toure intercepted and quickly chipped the ball over the Arsenal defense to Sergio Aguero. The Argentine raced past Rob Holding and Cech, who had been too slow off his line, watched helplessly as the ball was chipped over him into the net in the 62nd minute.
It was the striker's 14th goal in 15 FA Cup games, and a painful sight for Ramsey who covered his face with his jersey as the City fans celebrated.
This wasn't one of those days Arsenal capitulated, instead drawing level in the 71st minute from an unlikely source. Alex OxladeChamberlain crossed to the far post and Monreal demonstrated his ability by volleying past goalkeeper Claudio Bravo with his weaker right foot.
Monreal's third goal in four years at Arsenal came close to being wiped out. Only the woodwork spared Arsenal, with Toure's shot beating a diving Cech before hitting the post and Fernandinho heading onto the crossbar.
Having forced extra time, Arsenal displayed the resolve lacking so often this year to turn the semifinal around.
Sanchez came through for Arsenal in extra time, just as he did for the joint-record 12-time FA Cup winners in the 2015 semifinal, producing a winner in the 101st minute. Mesut Ozil's free kick was headed down by Rob Holding, Danny Welbeck missed his attempt but Sanchez demonstrated his poacher's instinct to nudge the ball over the line.
"Our league form has not been good enough and obviously we are disappointed with how that's gone," Oxlade-Chamberlain said. "This was something we could hold onto for the fans. It was important we got to the final."
ENGLAND
FA Cup semifinals
Saturday Chelsea-Tottenham Hotspur ............ 4-2 Yesterday Arsenal-Manchester City ............ aet 2-1
Premier League
Saturday Bournemouth-Middlesbrough ....... 4-0 King 2, Afobe 16, Pugh 65, Daniels 70 Hull City-Watford ........................... 2-0 Markovic 62, Clacus 71 Swansea City-Stoke City ................. 2-0 Llorente 10, Carroll 70 West Ham United-Everton ............. 0-0 Yesterday Burnley-Man United ...................... 0-2 Martial 21, Rooney 39 Liverpool-Crystal P ......................... 1-2 Coutinho (L) 24, Benteke (CP) 43, 74
Standings
P W D L F A Pts Chelsea 32 24 3 5 65 27 75 Tottenham 32 21 8 3 68 22 71 Liverpool 34 19 9 6 70 42 66 Man City 32 19 7 6 63 35 64 Man United 32 17 12 3 50 24 63 Everton 34 16 10 8 60 37 58 Arsenal 31 17 6 8 63 40 57 West Brom 33 12 8 13 39 42 44 Southampton 31 11 7 13 37 40 40 Watford 33 11 7 15 37 54 40 Stoke City 34 10 9 15 37 50 39 Crystal Palace 33 11 5 17 46 53 38 Bournemouth 34 10 8 16 49 63 38 West Ham 34 10 8 16 44 59 38 Leicester 32 10 7 15 41 53 37 Burnley 34 10 6 18 33 49 36 Hull City 34 9 6 19 36 67 33 Swansea 34 9 4 21 39 68 31 M’brough 33 4 12 17 23 43 24 Sunderland 32 5 6 21 26 58 21
SCOTLAND
Cup
Saturday Hibernian-Aberdeen ........................ 2-3 Yesterday Celtic-Rangers .................................. 2-0