Manchester City’s FA Cup dreams came to an end on Saturday night when they were defeated 2-0 by Arsenal in their semi-final at Wembley. It was a grim display of Pep Guardiola’s men from start to finish, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proving to be the winner of the match courtesy of one goal each half.
Positive
Last season’s Premier League champions held possession well in the early stages of the game and pushed Arsenal with true confidence, to the point that they were creating unforced errors within the Gunners’ defensive setup. They didn’t run forward without thinking, but at the same time, they never gave up and constantly kept the ball moving, even when it wasn’t going in their direction.
– Stream FC Daily seven days a week on ESPN + (US only)
– Did you miss something? The latest from Europe’s top leagues
– Broadcast FA Cup games on ESPN +
Negative
Each final ball lacked any kind of substance, and that can be largely attributed to poor communication. That goes for his attacking stars, as well as his four back, and if you’re looking for a side with some unity and real cohesion, you certainly won’t find one here. If the teams are able to absorb their pressure and hit them on the counter, the City seems to crumble most of the time.
Manager Rating 10
5 – Guardiola maintained the status quo from their initial XI, but there was something quite one-dimensional in the way they played. The Spanish has always been stubborn in his management style and that was echoed through repetitive and frankly unsuccessful display in large parts of the game. He did make changes, but it could be argued that they should have mixed things up before the scheduled time.
Player Ratings (1-10; 10 = Better, Players submitted after 70 minutes do not get a rating)
GK Ederson, 6 – The city goalkeeper could have made two major saves from Shkodran Mustafi and Aubameyang, but he couldn’t stop the latter from scoring a brace, largely because his defense disappointed him.
DF Benjamin Mendy, 4 – He may have great power when approaching half the opposition, but he was really disappointed by both goals after failing to reach his man for the first time before playing Aubameyang for the second.
DF Aymeric Laporte, 4 – Throwing beautiful balls only takes you very far, as Laporte discovered today with another inferior aspect that is shown in all areas.
DF Eric García, 5 – The young man showed a real lack of composure both on and off the ball, and that bled in his decision-making. His instinctual locks were helpful, but there is much more to good performance than that.
DF Kyle Walker, 4 – The England international will never want to see Maitland-Niles again soon after a night of chasing shadows, which included an unfortunate positioning for both goals.
MF David Silva, 5 – The veteran was slowing down the pace of the game, but not in a way that was really beneficial to the favorites. In a rare case, it lacked the cutting edge that we’re so used to seeing.
MF Ilkay Gundogan, 4 – It was another atrocious day in the office for Gundogan, from his strong touches to being completely dominated in the middle of the park.
MF Kevin De Bruyne, 6 – The delivery of the Belgian was not always on point, but was a constant threat in the last third, although it faded a lot as the game progressed.
FW Raheem Sterling, 3 – He had several opportunities to test the goalkeeper and potentially even score, but his day was summed up in a cross that bounced off the face of the former Liverpool and fell into the arms of Emiliano Martínez.
FW Gabriel Jesús, 3 – There is a real anxiety in the work of Jesus that has rendered it practically useless, and today it largely disappeared.
FW Riyad Mahrez, 5 – Entering behind Arsenal was clearly difficult for him, but he created one of the City’s best opportunities by going in and testing Martinez on the near post in the 54th minute.
Substitutions
MF Rodri, 6 – The type of control could not be brought to the midfield as many expected it to be when presented.
FW Phil Foden, 5 – I tried to help orchestrate some nice moves, but finally, I couldn’t help them take down Arsenal.
MF Fernandinho, N / A – He seemed energetic and launched himself around the field well enough, but could not inspire a return.
.
