Arteta rues FA Cup exit as Guardiola gets the better of Arsenal yet again

By Sports Desk January 27, 2023

Mikel Arteta saw Arsenal's FA Cup hopes ended by Manchester City and took issue with the defending that allowed Nathan Ake to score the only goal at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spaniard has been a winner in the competition as a player and as a head coach with the Gunners, but this will not be the London club's year for Wembley glory.

Their chief focus is on the Premier League, which they lead by five points from City with a game in hand, but these teams must meet twice in that competition before the end of the season.

Arsenal have now lost 13 of their past 14 games against City in all competitions, including six in a row, and Arteta was left to rue one lapse in concentration in Friday's fourth-round tussle.

He told ITV: "We're disappointed. I think we could have got much more from the game.

"It was a really tight match, a really competitive game, and an action decided the game and unfortunately we are out."

Assessing Ake's 64th-minute winner, Arteta said: "I think we could have defended that much better, in the discipline that we need in the box to stay with their runners."

Arsenal only had five goal attempts, with just one in the second half as City dominated, but their boss felt they still had opportunities to get at the Premier League champions.

"We had big situations there, and we didn't put them away and in these games we need to do that," he said.

"We can take lots of positives. The way we approached the game and the way we competed in the game was really good, because it's very hard to do it against this incredible team.

"We played face to face against them. [We] know that in big moments, in big matches, you have to make a difference and that's how you win against these teams."

Reports have claimed Gabriel Martinelli, used as a substitute in this game, has agreed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Arsenal, but Arteta refused to discuss the Brazil winger's future.

"I don't talk about anything about our players till it's done," he said.

Related items

  • Dom Rep, Bermuda victorious in Group D of League B; Belize, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis remain perfect in League C Dom Rep, Bermuda victorious in Group D of League B; Belize, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis remain perfect in League C

    Dominican Republic maintained their positive start to the Concacaf Nations League campaign, while Bermuda is now on the board as both registered victories in the League B, Group D double-header at the ABFA Technical Center in Piggotts, Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday.

    The Dominican Republic defeated Dominica 2-0 in a top-of-the-table clash, and Bermuda clipped hosts Antigua and Barbuda 1-0 to end the September window on a positive note.

    With the win, Dominican Republic moved up to six points, three ahead of Bermuda and Dominica, while Antigua and Barbuda will head into the next window without a point.

    Dominican Republic vs. Dominica

    Having won their opening encounters, this contest was expected to be a closely contested affair, but it was the Dominican Republic who proved the better team on the day.

    Ronaldo Vasquez broke the deadlock with a cheeky finish in the 11th minute.

    Dorny Romero doubled the lead with 25th-minute strike that secured the points for Dominican Republic to boost their promotion hopes.