90′ + 2′ CHANCE! Cedric feeds the run of Pepe in the right inside channel. He cuts back to shoot on his left foot with power towards the near post, but Steffen gets down to make the stop.
90′ + 1′ SAVE! Mahrez raids down the right inside channel and fires low towards the bottom-right corner, but Runarsson gets down to make a sharp save.
90′ Smith Rowe breaks down the left flank to latch on to Kolasinac’s throughball. He cuts a cross back towards Balogun, but the ball evades the forward in the box.
87′ OVER! Fernandinho dispossesses Maitland-Niles and the ball falls to Aguero. He works an offload to Zinchenko on the edge of the box, but the Ukrainian scuffs his strike over the bar.
85′ WIDE! Balogun does well to burst through two challenges and feeds Pepe on the edge of the box. The forward turns and angles a left-footed strike towards goal that sails just wide of the left post.
83′ Foden break forward with pace through the middle of the park. Gabriel has to time his tackle to perfection to break up the attack, and does so with a fine challenge on the England man.
81′ Smith Rowe tries to feed Kolasinac down the left flank, but Walker does well to put the full-back off and earns a goal-kick for the visitors.
79′ Both teams are going through the motions. Arsenal seemed resigned to their fate.
77′ Balogun replaces Lacazette, who did all he could for the home side tonight.
77′ Walker replaces Rodri for the visitors that will see Cancelo shift to the left and Zinchenko move into the midfield alongside Fernandinho.
76′ City are knocking the ball around the pitch with ease at the moment. They could easily score more goals this evening.
74′ Aguero comes on to the pitch to replace Jesus in the final third.
73′ Foden sends a sublime cross in from the right flank to Laporte to rise and head home.
73′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! LAPORTE HEADS HOME!!! 4-1 CITY!! The holders are on their way to the semi-finals as Laporte converts Foden’s cross. The England man plays a one-two with Mahrez from a corner before bending a sublime cross into the box from the right flank. Laporte is unmarked from six yards and directs his effort past Runarsson with ease.
72′ Mahrez runs at Gabriel with pace and goes down under pressure. The referee points only for a corner to the visitors, although there was contact.
Ferran Torres
Bernardo Silva
70′ Silva is withdrawn for the visitors and is replaced by Torres in the final third.
68′ WIDE! Smith Rowe feeds the ball into the run of Lacazette in the right inside channel, but the Frenchman hammers his strike straight into the side-netting.
E. Smith Rowe
Mohamed Elneny
66′ Smith Rowe replaces Elneny in the Arsenal midfield.
Bernardo Silva
Yellow Card
65′ Silva goes into the book for a challenge on behind on Ceballos. A needless one from the Portuguese. He will miss the next game in the competition.
63′ Mahrez tries to weave his way through tackles in the final third and is just halted on the edge of the box by a good challenge from Kolasinac.
61′ City are in full flow once again and will be on the hunt for more goals.
60′ There was a hint of offside about Foden’s goal. If VAR was in use, the goal would likely have been chalked off.
59′ Fernandinho releases the run of Foden into the left inside channel and he does not disappoint with a good finish.
59′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! FODEN SCOOPS A SIMPLE FINISH INTO THE NET!!!!! 3-1!!! The England man latches on to an offload from Fernandinho and clips his effort over the onrushing Runarsson into the back of the net. City open up Arsenal down the left flank and Foden is played into acres of space in the left inside channel by the Brazilian. He does not disappoint with a fine finish.
56′ Arsenal have to hold their composure now. They cannot afford to fold under pressure from the visitors.
54′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! RUNARSSON HAS A NIGHTMARE!!!! 2-1 CITY!! Mahrez puts City back in front as Runarsson is unable to keep out his strike from a free-kick. Mahrez blasts his effort over the wall towards the net. Runarsson should have the strike covered, but he succeeds in only punching the ball into the back of the net. A shocking mistake.
53′ Mahrez collects on the edge of the box and is brought down by the leg of Gabriel. City have a free-kick in a dangerous position.
51′ The contest has not got going since the restart. Both sides are struggling for rhythm.
49′ Pepe replaces the ailing Martinelli for the home side.
47′ Martinelli slumps to the floor and is still feeling the affects of his first-half injury. The forward will have to be withdrawn here.
46′ Cancelo tries to steer a pass towards Mahrez, but Kolasinac gets across to divert the ball away from the Algerian.
46′ We’re back underway at the Emirates Stadium.
Pep Guardiola will be fuming with his side. They should have put the tie to bed in the early stages, but have paid the price for their casual approach. They lost their way after Lacazette’s leveller and now need to work to regain their advantage in the second half.
It’s all square at the break between Arsenal and Manchester City at the break in their EFL Cup quarter-final clash. Gabriel Jesus put City ahead after only three minutes with a close-range header. The visitors dominated the opening half-hour, but failed to add a second goal. Alexandre Lacazette made them pay with a header of his own to level the scores. The game remains in the balance at the interval.
45′ + 3′ HALF-TIME: ARSENAL 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY
45′ + 1′ Martinelli is helped to his feet and he is able to walk off to the sidelines. The forward appears to be ready to give it a go for the remainder of the half.
45′ There will be three minutes of added time.
44′ Martinelli remains down for the home side. He has just come back from a major injury and it does not look good for the forward after being caught on the boot in a 50/50 challenge with Steffen.
43′ Willock almost releases Martinelli behind the City backline. Steffen reacts to race out of his box to slide to win the ball in a challenge with the Arsenal forward. The City keeper had to win that one there.
41′ SAVE! Mahrez and Foden combine with Jesus to open up the Arsenal defence for the Brazilian. He only has Runarsson to beat, but the keeper spreads himself to deny the City forward from close range.
40′ City have been far too casual since going ahead in the contest. The early goal perhaps relaxed them too much in the final third.
38′ Rodri stands a ball over the top of the Arsenal defence for Cancelo. He knocks a lay-off back towards Mahrez, but Gabriel reacts to the danger to clear ahead of the winger.
35′ Steffen almost has a nightmare at the back for the visitors, playing the ball straight to Willock. However, the Gunners are unable to capitalise through Lacazette.
34′ Cedric lifts a dangerous cross in front the right flank, but Martinelli cannot climb high enough to direct his effort on target.
33′ Arsenal have a new lease of life now and are beginning to grow into the contest.
31′ Martinelli provides a spark down the left flank and supplies a perfect cross for Lacazette to head home.
31′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! LACAZETTE EQUALISES OUT OF NOWHERE!!!! 1-1!!!! The Gunners are back in the game through the Frenchman, who heads home from close range. Arsenal have a rare foray forward down the left flank through Martinelli. He does well to beat one challenge before lifting a dangerous cross into the middle. It sails over the head of Willock, but Lacazette is there to direct his effort into the top-left corner.
30′ Lacazette gets a sore one as Rodri catches him with a knee in the back in an aerial duel. The Frenchman is fine to continue.
28′ WIDE! Dias climbs in the box to attack a corner from Mahrez on the right flank, only to nod wide of the target.
27′ Gabriel has to clear over his own bar to prevent Rodri from latching on to Cancelo’s cross into the box after Mahrez was brought down by Ceballos.
25′ Mustafi pulls down Jesus and goes into the book. The City striker is causing the Arsenal backline a lot of problems.
24′ BLOCK! Mahrez lines up the resulting free-kick, but the Algerian can only strike his effort into the wall and it travels behind for a corner. A disappointing attempt from the City man.
Mohamed Elneny
Yellow Card
23′ Elneny brings down Jesus on the charge on the edge of the box and goes into the book. He hands City a free-kick in a threatening position.
22′ WIDE! Mahrez whips the resulting corner deep to the back post, but Laporte can only nod his effort wide of the target.
21′ BLOCK! Cancelo raids down the right flank and feeds Mahrez, but the winger sees his strike at goal blocked by Elneny behind for a corner.
19′ Arsenal apply pressure up the field, but Lacazette’s teasing ball through to Willock is intercepted by Zinchenko.
17′ Foden tries to hook a cross from Cancelo towards goal, but he sends his effort tamely into the hands of Runarsson.
16′ City are seizing on Arsenal’s lack of confidence in possession, pressing the Gunners’ backline to force mistakes.
14′ Cancelo almost slides a pass through to Silva in the right inside channel, but the Portuguese just cannot stretch to make contact.
13′ WIDE! Lacazette gets ahead of his man to connect with Ceballos’ corner from the right flank, but he directs his effort wide of the right post.
13′ Willock does well down the right flank and he wins a corner off the legs of Zinchenko.
11′ Runarsson takes a risk at the back as he collects a pass from Kolasinac. The keeper is put under pressure by Jesus, but he just turns away from the forward in time.
10′ Foden looks to clip an early cross into the box, but Kolasinac makes an important clearance ahead of Mahrez.
8′ City are dominating possession and are encamped in the Arsenal half. It’s worrying signs for the home side in the early stages of the game.
6′ WIDE! Arsenal back off City in the final third and it affords Fernandinho time to fire at goal, but his effort is deflected wide of the left post by Gabriel.
5′ Arsenal have it all to do now. The defending for the Jesus goal was poor to say the least. The Gunners have to hold their nerve here.
3′ Zinchenko surges down the left flank and supplies a threatening cross to the near post that Jesus converts.
3′ GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! JESUS HEADS CITY IN FRONT!!!!!!! 1-0!!! It’s all too easy for the visitors and Jesus as the Brazilian heads home from close range. Zinchenko raids down the left flank and he clips a cross towards the near post. Runarsson commits and fails to get there ahead of Jesus, who nods the ball into an empty net.
1′ We’re underway at the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City have won their last three away matches against Arsenal, all in the Premier League. City are the only team to win three consecutive away games against the Gunners at the Emirates, while the last team to win four consecutive away matches against Arsenal were Chelsea between 1960 and 1965 (six in a row).
City have made seven changes to their line-up that beat Southampton in their last outing. Steffen gets a rare start between the posts, while Zinchenko and Laporte get the nod in the back four. Walker, Stones and Ederson all drop to the bench. Fernandinho slots into the midfield for Gundogan. Jesus provides the spearhead in attack to replace Torres, while Foden and Mahrez are in for Kevin De Bruyne and Sterling. The Belgian misses out completely tonight.
Arsenal have made eight changes to their side that was beaten by Everton last time out. Martinelli makes his first start of the season on the left side of a three-man attacking unit behind Lacazette. The Frenchman also returns to the fold after being benched against the Toffees. Runarsson gets the start between the posts, while Gabriel, Cedric, Mustafi and Kolasinac all come into the back four. Elneny, Ceballos and Maitland-Niles are the only players to retain their spots.
MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: Kyle Walker, John Stones, Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Aguero, Ferran Torres, Ederson.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Zack Steffen; Joao Cancelo; Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte. Oleksandr Zinchenko; Rodri, Fernandinho; Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden; Gabriel Jesus.
ARSENAL SUBS: Bernd Leno, Kieran Tierney, Nicolas Pepe, Pablo Mari, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, Folarin Balogun.
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Runar Alex Runarsson; Cedric Soares, Gabriel Magalhaes, Shkodran Mustafi, Sead Kolasinac; Dani Ceballos, Mohamed Elneny; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Gabriel Martinelli; Alexandre Lacazette.
After two underwhelming performances against Manchester United and West Brom, City recorded a much-needed win over Southampton last time out. Raheem Sterling scored the only goal of the game to get Pep Guardiola’s men back to winning ways. The EFL Cup holders defeated Bournemouth and Burnley to reach the quarter-finals. They will be fancying their chances to progress to the last four against an out-of-form Arsenal side.
Arsenal are in dire need of a positive result to lift the gloom over the club. Mikel Arteta is fighting for his job due to his side’s atrocious run of form in the Premier League. Their defeat at the hands of Everton stretched their winless run to seven matches in the top flight. The Gunners can take heart after beating Leicester and Liverpool in the last two rounds of the EFL Cup, but they will need something special tonight to advance to the semi-finals.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the EFL Cup quarter-final clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
90′ + 3′ FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 1-4 MANCHESTER CITY