Tottenham faced elimination from the FA Cup as Nathan Ake’s contentious goal propelled Manchester City into the next round. Ake secured the first goal for City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking their sixth visit to the venue. His late winner dashed Spurs’ hopes in a match overshadowed by controversy.
Tensions flared as Spurs contested VAR’s decision, with Guglielmo Vicario claiming Ruben Dias fouled him during a corner. Despite Portugal’s Dias leaping next to the Spurs custodian, Vicario managed to reach the ball first.
As the Italian goalkeeper hit the ground, Ake swiftly capitalized, driving the ball into the net and inciting frustration among the Tottenham players.
Remarkably, this marked City’s 101st chance to score against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, breaking a streak of misfortune. Just moments earlier, Kevin de Bruyne squandered a golden opportunity to put City in the lead after an error by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Despite the Danish player losing possession near his goal, De Bruyne failed to find the target.
City, eager to reclaim the FA Cup title they secured by defeating Manchester United in the previous year’s final, faced a resilient Spurs side. However, Spurs now find themselves without silverware unless a miraculous turn of events occurs in the Premier League.
In reality, Spurs struggled in their attacking endeavors, mustering only one shot throughout the game. The front trio of Richarlison, Brennan Johnson, and Timo Werner failed to threaten Ederson in goal, and City’s defenders adeptly handled any challenges.
Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham’s manager, delivered positive news about James Maddison’s return from a lengthy injury. However, the attacking trio failed to trouble City’s defense, and the team’s lackluster performance left them empty-handed in the FA Cup.
City, despite having 18 attempts on goal, remained scoreless until the 88th minute. The treble winners finally broke their streak of misfortune at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on their sixth attempt, securing a crucial victory in their pursuit of FA Cup success.
