City avoid FA Cup shock, Gunners out
Manchester City were given a huge FA Cup scare by fourth-tier Cheltenham before a late blitz gave them a 3-1 win on Saturday after Southampton dumped holders Arsenal out of the competition.
Six-time winners City were minutes away from exiting at the fourth-round stage before goals from Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres broke the hearts of the brave League Two side.
City boss Pep Guardiola made 10 changes for the trip to the southwest of England but his side was still packed with internationals.
The home team — 72 places below City in the football pyramid — produced a stirring defensive display but also sporadically threatened at the other end of the pitch.
Jesus hit the post shortly after the restart as City upped the tempo following a goalless first half but it was the home team who broke the deadlock.
The visitors failed to deal with the outstanding Ben Tozer’s long throw and Alfie May fired in from close range just before the hour mark.
Guardiola threw on Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo in a desperate bid to find a way back into the game and was rewarded in the 81st minute when Foden volleyed in Cancelo’s cross.
Three minutes later Jesus made amends for his earlier miss and Torres made it 3-1 with the final kick of the game, turning in Gundogan’s low cross.
“We came here with humility and had
the quality to make the difference,” said Guardiola. “They used their quality in the box, they are taller and better than us there and we showed clips on how to solve it. It is difficult to control that.”
The Catalan had warm words for Foden, who is the club’s top-scorer in all competitions this season.
“Phil Foden is in a great moment and with great confidence,” he added. “He is clinical in front of goal.”
Cheltenham boss Michael Duff said he was “super proud” of his players, bemoaning the fact the match had to
be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s a shame because [with fans] the place would’ve been bouncing,” he said. “Would that have seen us through in the last 10 minutes? I’m not so sure — but the key is to enjoy it.”
Earlier, Arsenal, who have won the competition a record 14 times, went down 1-0 at Southampton courtesy of a Gabriel own goal.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made seven changes from his team’s 3-0 league win against Newcastle on Monday, with
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and midfielder Emile Smith Rowe both absent.
Southampton, FA Cup winners in 1976, earned a well-deserved lead in the 24th minute when Kyle Walker-Peters’ ball across the six-yard area was inadvertently turned in by Gabriel.
West Ham United, who will face either Manchester United or Liverpool in the next round, crushed third-tier Doncaster 4-0.
RESULTS Fourth round
Barnsley 1 (Styles 56) Norwich 0; Brighton 2 (Bissouma 27, Alzate 58) Blackpool 1 (Madine 45); Cheltenham 1 (May 59) Manchester City 3 (Foden 81, Jesus 84, Torres 90+4); Millwall 0 Bristol City 3 (Diedhiou 32-pen, Wells 58, Semenyo 72); Sheffield United 2 (Basham 39, Sharp 47) Plymouth 1 (Camara 75); Southampton 1 (Gabriel 24-og) Arsenal 0; Swansea 5 (Cullen 7, 67, Grimes 29, 61-pen, Cooper 84) Nottingham Forest 1 (Knockaert 56); West Ham 4 (Fornals 2, Yarmolenko 32, Butler 54-og, Afolayan 78) Doncaster 0
FIXTURES (kick-offs Thai time) Today
Wycombe v Tottenham (2.45am, Tue) Tomorrow
Bournemouth v Crawley (2am, Wed)
FIFTH ROUND DRAW
Fulham or Burnley v Bournemouth or Crawley; Manchester United or Liverpool v West Ham; Sheffield United v Bristol City; Wolves v Southampton; Barnsley v Chelsea or Luton; Everton or Sheffield Wednesday v Wycombe or Tottenham; Swansea v Manchester City; Brentford or Leicester v Brighton
Note: Ties to be played on Feb 10