Luis Diaz of Liverpool has a headed shot earlier than Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal scores an personal purpose previous teammate Aaron Ramsdale, in the course of the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on January 07, 2024 in London, England.
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Arsenal’s more and more alarming issues in entrance of purpose have been additional uncovered in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool in a heavyweight FA Cup match on Sunday.
An end-to-end third-round contest was settled by two late targets — an own-goal by Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior within the eightieth minute and a stoppage-time strike by Luis Diaz.
Arsenal has now misplaced 4 of its final seven matches in all competitions. In three of these defeats, the crew has failed to attain.
That statistic, plus one other damage to first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus, may but tempt supervisor Mikel Arteta to enter the switch market this month. Otherwise, Arsenal dangers falling quick once more this season, identical to within the final marketing campaign when the crew light late on and was crushed to the Premier League title by fast-finishing Manchester City.
City appears to be like in prime form once more heading into the second half of the season, with a 5-0 win over second-tier Huddersfield within the FA Cup notable for the return from damage of Kevin De Bruyne after practically 5 months out.
De Bruyne hasn’t performed since sustaining a hamstring damage at Burnley on the opening day of the Premier League season on August 11. The Belgium playmaker got here on as a 57th-minute substitute — when City was 2-0 forward — and offered the cross that fellow substitute Jeremy Doku transformed for the ultimate purpose in a one-sided match at Etihad Stadium.
City supervisor Pep Guardiola welcome again a midfielder he described as “exceptional” and ”distinctive.”
“Kevin helps us to win games and there are few like him in the world,” Guardiola mentioned. “I’m pretty sure Kevin felt how our people are in love with him. This mutual respect will last forever.”
Phil Foden scored twice, Julian Alvarez added one other and there was an own-goal for City, which noticed defender Manuel Akanji go off injured within the first half.
Erling Haaland was nonetheless deemed not match sufficient to characteristic for City, however ought to be again quickly to enhance the returning De Bruyne and Doku as Pep Guardiola’s crew go for an unlikely repeat of its treble of main trophies gained final season.
City is third within the Premier League, 5 factors behind first-place Liverpool with a recreation in hand, and is thru to the spherical of 16 within the Champions League.
“I know he can handle the pressure,” Guardiola mentioned of De Bruyne, “but I don’t want to put all the pressure on Kevin’s shoulders.”
Wrexham wins
Wrexham made its Hollywood homeowners glad by successful 1-0 at Shrewsbury, a neighborhood rival from a division increased in English soccer’s pyramid, because of Tom O’Connor’s second-half purpose.
The buzz round Wrexham and its superstar homeowners — Rob Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — reached new ranges throughout an FA Cup run round this time final yr when the Welsh membership beat one second-tier Championship crew in Coventry after which took one other, Premier League-bound Sheffield United, to a replay.
The crew has already obtained by way of three rounds this season and can discover out on Monday its opponent within the final 32.
Promotion stays the large purpose this season for Wrexham, which is in third place in League Two.
Premier League groups West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Luton have been all held to attracts at dwelling by lower-division opponents.
West Ham failed to carry onto a lead earned by Jarrod Bowen’s early purpose and drew 1-1 with second-tier Bristol City. There was extra unhealthy news for the Hammers, with Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta pressured off injured within the first half.
Forest needed to come from two targets down to attract with third-tier Blackpool 2-2 whereas one other third-tier crew, Bolton, held Luton 0-0.
Source web site: www.thehindu.com
