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Manchester City reached the round of 16 of the FA Cup 2023-24 after ousting Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Friday, January 26.
Nathan Ake scored the only goal of the game in the 88th minute as the Sky Blues also broke their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium curse of losing on every visit.
Pep Guardiola's champions started the match brightly, pegging Spurs back with their high press and even had a goal ruled out. Oscar Bobb tapped home after Julian Alvarez's strike was saved but was adjudged offside in the buildup.
Tottenham clawed their way back into the match and upped their attacking game, but were still lacking in the cutting edge to truly give their mighty visitors a challenge.
The second half started in a similar fashion, with City looking dangerous. Just four minutes into the restart, Alvarez was presented with perhaps the best chance of the night. The Argentine struck from barely six yards out but Micky van de Ven swung in just in time to make a vital block.
Two minutes later, Josko Gvardiol sliced his shot wide as City continued to put the pressure on Tottenham. A few more near-misses later, the three-time Premier League defending champions finally broke the deadlock in the closing stages.
As Kevin De Bruyne swung in a corner, Rodri headed it down for Ake to tap home from a yard or two out and seal the match. Here are the hits and flops from the match:
Hit: Nathan Ake (Manchester City)
Nathan Ake loves scoring in the cup games against the big sides. Last season, he was on target in their Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool, and then against Arsenal in the FA Cup. This year, the Dutchman showed up against Tottenham in the same competition and in the same round at that.
Vigilante enough to read the game well and resolute enough to keep the opposition at bay, Ake kept everything kosher in defense. He made one clearance and interception each while having the time to drive forward and make some line-breaking passes.
The 28-year-old mustered one shot on target, which proved to be the winning goal for City, as Ruben Dias headed down Kevin De Bruyne's corner and Ake tapped it home to seal it at the death.
Flop: Richarlison (Tottenham Hotspur)
Richarlison is an enigma. Although he's having a much better campaign this time around, with seven goals and three assists from 18 games in the league, the Brazilian is still prone to absolutely horrid displays, like the one from last night.
With zero shots attempted in the game, zero key passes made, and zero crosses laid, Richarlison was a complete non-factor for Spurs on a night when they needed him the most. He also won just four of 11 attempted duels and completed a mere 11 passes despite playing a full 90 minutes.
Hit: Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City)
Manchester City were completely dominant in the match, and much of that was down to their midfield brilliance. Mateo Kovacic was a vital cog in that setup as he ran the rings around the Spurs with his speed, vision, and most importantly, passing.
Operating alongside Rodri in a two-man midfield, the Croatian maestro carried the ball forward with great aplomb to feed the more advanced players. He also offered plenty of resistance off the ball whenever the hosts looked to spring up an attack.
Kovacic finished with a 92% (76/83) passing accuracy, laid one key pass, and won four ground duels.
Flop: Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur)
Brennan Johnson's promising displays with Nottingham Forest last season, which saw him net eight times in the Premier League, prompted Spurs to sign him up. However, last night showed the 21-year-old is still rough around the edges.
Johnson struggled to impose himself on City's defense for large parts of the match but improved later on. He even managed to get a shot on target. Nonetheless, his confidence was lacking, and there's plenty of room for improvement in his finishing too.
Hit: Rodri (Manchester City)
Mateo Kovacic wasn't the only midfielder who had a terrific game. Rodri complimented him perfectly and even created the most chances of any players on the pitch — four.
The Spaniard fought hard for the ball, jumping into tackles and biting at the heels of Spurs players for possession. He threaded together incisive passes and even sent in a few long balls to get City on the attacking foot.
