Luis Diaz of Liverpool has a headed shot earlier than Jakub Kiwior of Arsenal scores an personal objective previous teammate Aaron Ramsdale, through the Emirates FA Cup Third Spherical match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on January 07, 2024 in London, England.
| Picture Credit score: Getty Photographs
Arsenal’s more and more alarming issues in entrance of objective 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 objectives — 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 workforce has failed to attain.
That statistic, plus one other damage to first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus, might but tempt supervisor Mikel Arteta to enter the switch market this month. In any other case, Arsenal dangers falling quick once more this season, similar to within the final marketing campaign when the workforce pale late on and was crushed to the Premier League title by fast-finishing Manchester Metropolis.
Metropolis appears 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 almost 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 Metropolis was 2-0 forward — and supplied the cross that fellow substitute Jeremy Doku transformed for the ultimate objective in a one-sided match at Etihad Stadium.
Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola welcome again a midfielder he described as “distinctive” and ”distinctive.”
“Kevin helps us to win video games and there are few like him on this planet,” Guardiola mentioned. “I’m fairly certain Kevin felt how our individuals are in love with him. This mutual respect will final endlessly.”
Phil Foden scored twice, Julian Alvarez added one other and there was an own-goal for Metropolis, which noticed defender Manuel Akanji go off injured within the first half.
Erling Haaland was nonetheless deemed not match sufficient to function for Metropolis, however ought to be again quickly to enhance the returning De Bruyne and Doku as Pep Guardiola’s workforce go for an unlikely repeat of its treble of main trophies gained final season.
Metropolis is third within the Premier League, 5 factors behind first-place Liverpool with a sport in hand, and is thru to the spherical of 16 within the Champions League.
“I do know he can deal with the strain,” Guardiola mentioned of De Bruyne, “however I don’t wish to put all of the strain on Kevin’s shoulders.”
Wrexham wins
Wrexham made its Hollywood homeowners comfortable by profitable 1-0 at Shrewsbury, a neighborhood rival from a division greater in English soccer’s pyramid, due to Tom O’Connor’s second-half objective.
The thrill 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 workforce in Coventry after which took one other, Premier League-bound Sheffield United, to a replay.
The workforce has already received by way of three rounds this season and can discover out on Monday its opponent within the final 32.
Promotion stays the large objective 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 residence by lower-division opponents.
West Ham failed to carry onto a lead earned by Jarrod Bowen’s early objective and drew 1-1 with second-tier Bristol Metropolis. There was extra unhealthy information for the Hammers, with Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta compelled off injured within the first half.
Forest needed to come from two objectives down to attract with third-tier Blackpool 2-2 whereas one other third-tier workforce, Bolton, held Luton 0-0.
