When I am wrong I will say that I am wrong and hold my hands up. Now I cannot get my hands up as high as Costel Pantilimon but I will try. In my preview comments I said that I thought Mancini may stick with Hart in goal, with this taking us into the semi finals if we could secure a win. I went on to say that Pantilimon hadn't impressed me in the previous League Cup games, and to be fair that is still true. But oh my word what a game the young man had last night! It will certainly make Mancini and us City supporters smile to know that we really do have such talent in reserve should anything happen to Hart.
Mancini rotated his whole squad again, with Savic, Onouha, Zabba and Toure prefered in defense with another appearance for Owen Hargeaves. Nasri was in the side and, like Toure, returned to Arsenal in sky blue.
Shots were few and far in between in the early stages with each team cancelling the other out. Dzeko released Johnson on the right who then cuts inside before shooting over just before Coquelin crosses the ball in for Park who gets a great save from the City keeper, Pantilimon.
Dzeko continued to be the one releasing Johnson and that would be critical toward the end of the game. Then with just over half an hour gone Mancini decided to haul off Kolarov in favour of Aguero, which is unheard of in todays game when no injury has occured. Kolarov wasn't impressed but in Mancini we trust and the game seemed to swing into the visitors favour.
Halftime came and went and in the second half the game started to swing back into Arsenals favour but yet again Pantilimon in the City goal was keeping his team in with a shout and currently with this City side they are always capable of nicking a goal and that is exactly what happened with seven minutes left on the clock.
Arsenal had only just broken through Benayoun, forcing City to concede a corner. The young future England prospect Alex Chamberlain took the corner but a City head got to the ball first. Dzeko, in his own box, first knocked the ball past his man then kept it from going out for a throw while the Arsenal squad seemed to be almost stationary. The Bosnian runs halfway up the pitch before releasing a beautiful ball to the feet of Adam Johnson, as he had been doing all night. Johnson flicks the ball with the outside of his boot into the path of Aguero who finishes smartly low and to Fabianskis left. City 1-0.
Wenger then brings on Arshavin for Chamberlain and despite a few nervy moments at the back for City they progress for the second time in three years, at the expense of Arsenal, to the Semi Finals of the Carling Cup.
Written By: PA Cityboy (www.facebook.com/pacityboy)
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