Manchester City's match-winner Nathan Ake believes that his side's victory over Arsenal is important for the rest of the season.
It was a tough battle in the FA Cup as the Blues and the Gunners matched each other for large periods. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Leandro Trossard both stung the palms of Stefan Ortega as the visitors had the better of the first half.
After the break, City managed to find their breakthrough. A long-range effort from Julian Alvarez clattered the post, the rebound fell to Jack Grealish who played it back for Ake to calmly find the bottom corner.
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Speaking to ITV Sport post-match, Ake claimed that the victory could be vital when the Blues return to the Premier League. "I think it’s good, you know, especially after a tough period, but then after two good games before this one it was good to carry on," he explained.
"I think we take this as a tough opponent and to win 1-0 at home, get through to the next round, it gives us confidence for the next game and other games to come. I think there’s still more to come.
"Today was more about resilience, they’re a very tough team, they play very good football, and we stayed strong and made sure we didn’t concede. I think that’s another side we also have to show from ourselves."
City find themselves five points behind the north London club in the league and Mikel Arteta rotated his side more than Pep Guardiola did. The result means that the Blues are the first team to get through to the fifth round of the FA Cup this weekend.
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