Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice for Arsenal at a luminously empty Wembley Stadium as Arsenal withstood massed Manchester City pressure for much of the 90 minutes to seal a place in the FA Cup final. For Pep Guardiola this was a frustrating night in north London. City lost their first FA Cup tie since February 2018, at times passing themselves to death against opponents ready to sit deep and defend with real resilience.
As for Arsenal, this felt like confirmation of a corner turned. For the second time in four days Mikel Arteta’s team produced a performance of stirring defensive discipline against one of the Premier League’s reigning powers, not just absorbing the pressure, but breaking with real incision. Granit Xhaka was a calm, efficient presence in central midfield. Nicolas Pépé used his speed advisedly, stretching City on the left flank. The signs are here of something starting to stir.
Related: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City: FA Cup semi-final – as it happened
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