Manchester City – Arsenal

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Carling Cup quarter-final between Arsenal and Manchester City. It is the Wenger boys against the men from Manchester. Who will prevail?

Arsenal have stuck to their tried and tested formula of blooding youth players with the likes of Craig Eastmond and Fran Merida in from the start. The one to watch, though, is the wonderfully talented Jack Wilshere.

As for City, their only victory in October and November came in this competition and Mark Hughes is desperate for a win. Hence his decision to put out a full-strength side.

City won the corresponding league fixture 4- earlier in the season and all eyes will be on Emmanuel Adebayor after he famously stamped on Robin van Persie and then incited the Arsenal fans with a spirited celebration.

Arsenal's kids face a stern test in taking on a full-strength City side but they have already beaten Liverpool in the competition this season. This would be something else though if they can manage it.

Arsenal have won five in five against City in the League Cup but Mark Hughes knows that this represents a superb chance of winning his first trophy as City boss. Eastlands enjoys a light show and the players are in the tunnel.

Kolo Toure looks very chummy with his former colleagues, while Adebayor sneaks out at the back of the City line-up. We are just seconds away from kick-off.

KICK OFF Arsenal get us underway at Eastlands!

Arsenal keep possession for the first 40 seconds, showing some nice touches, and work their way into the City box before Shay Given comes out to grab the ball.

Adebayor, roundly booed by the travelling Arsenal supporters, is flagged offside. Not a new experience for the striker, it must be said.

Shaun Wright-Phillips turns superbly to lose Armand Traore but Mikael Silvestre cuts out his cross to find Tevez. The Argentinian then shoots well off target.

Carlos Tevez flicks on a header for Craig Bellamy who is about five metres offside. He must have learned that from Adebayor in training.

Wilshere shows his tenacious side when diving in to try and win the ball back following a poor piece of control, but City retain possession.

SWP looks to take on Traore once again but this time the Frenchman copes better, only to concede a corner.

Adebayor has the first decent chance of the game as he out-jumps Alex Song to head Gareth Barry's corner at goal. Lukasz Fabianski just about holds onto it though. In front of the Arsenal fans as well.

Bellamy is caught by the Arsenal offside trap once again. Maybe we are seeing a return to the Full Monty, Adams-Keown days at the back. Then again perhaps not, Bellamy was just standing in an offside position.

The Arsenal fans enjoy the side of Adebayor slipping and landing on his backside.

SWP has already looked a real threat down the right wing and City will be keen to exploit any weaknesses shown by Traore.

Bellamy goes charging down the left and Ireland and Adebayor, unmarked, scream for the ball in the centre. When Bellamy delivers though, Silvestre makes a crucial interception. City should have done better with that.

Traore looks to have cut out an Adebayor backheel but he lets the ball slip through his legs. Not a good start from the left back at all.

Let's not forget that City have only lost once in all competitions this season, a fantastic record, even if they have drawn seven in a row in the Premier League.

Jack Wilshere slips in Aaron Ramsey but former Gunner Kolo Toure produces a fine block to deny the Welshman.

Tomas Roiscky sends in Arsenal's first corner and although City clear, Arsenal work the ball well and force the home side to make another clearance.

Now Rosicky slings in a free-kick from the left wing but he puts a bit too much on it and Alex Song can't connect, allowing Shay Given to let the ball float behind.

Bellamy appeals strongly for a penalty after being body-checked by Alex Song in the box, but replays show that he ran into the Arsenal man, who is playing in defence rather than his usual position of midfield today.

Great chance for City! Silvestre makes a mess of an attempted tackle on SWP and the winger cuts back for Bellamy, who somehow drags his shot wide when he really should have scored.

Carlos Tevez is given a talking to after tripping Jack Wilshere. That was the first burst of acceleration we have seen from the talented young Englishman.

Great chance for Arsenal! Vela lays the ball off to Wilshere and the midfielder returns the favour, playing a perfectly-weighted ball into the path of the Mexican. He tries to lift his shot over Given but overhits the effort.

Carlos Tevez picks up the ball 40 yards from goal and charges into the right channel before lashing a shot at goal that Fabianski saves. The rebounding ball hits Silvestre but it was never handball.

SWP twists and turns inside the box but his trickery is just a bit too much as he loses his footing, and the ball.

Fran Merida commits a pretty ugly tackle on Micah Richards but the defender appears to be okay. That was a bad one from behind but the Spaniard avoided a booking.

Carlos Vela goes down clutching his leg following a challenge but when he sees Arsenal have possession, makes a miracle recovery! And I thought the Arsenal medical staff weren't all that good?

Tevez attempts to slip the ball into Adebayor but Mikael Silvestre makes a good challenge to take the ball away. Replays show that Ade went in a bit strong, and possibly two-footed. Hmmmm.

Silvestre looks distinctly uncomfortable when attempting to deal with a ball over the top as Adebayor snaps at his heels. He finally manages to get the ball out of his feet though.

Carlos Vela plays a good one-two with Armand Traore to burst into the box but Joleon Lescott outmuscles the forward and the ball goes out of play.

Whatever the composition of the Arsenal first team you are always guaranteed some pretty patterns in midfield but they haven't carved out enough chances.

Just as I say that, Ramsey chips a nice ball over the defence for Vela who almost connects with an acrobatic effort. That would have been some goal.

Now the unlikely figure of Emmanuel Eboue joins the attack as he jinks inside his good friend Kolo Toure and sees his toe-poke saved by Given. A good spell from Arsenal.

Tevez gets away from Traore but his progress slows and Tomas Rosicky, of all people, jumps in to nicks the ball away.

Armand Traore fails to cope with the raw pace of SWP again and the left back lunges in with a poor tackle that earns him a yellow card. He has to be careful now.

Gareth Barry curls in the resulting free-kick and the ball comes off the head of Alex Song and floats just over the bar. Corner to City.

Fabianski is off his line well to catch the ball though.

Craig Eastmond quickly becomes the second player to be booked when he is penalised for a sneaky shirt pull.

Carlos Vela's cross appears to strike the arm of Kolo Toure and the Mexican appeals for a penalty, to no avail. Replays show it hit his chest.

Armand Traore is riding his luck and the City bench point out to referee Chris Foy that he has already been booked after committing another clear foul. He needs to watch it.

Fabianski comes and misses the ball when trying to punch at a corner, but City get another and this time the Polish keeper does make contact.

Rosicky lunges in wholeheartedly and is penalised for a foul. City try a quick one but make a horrible mess of things.

Arsene Wenger and Mark Hughes get involved in a childish spat as Wenger asks the fourth official why his opposite number has strayed out of his technical area. Hughes tells him to shut up, in a manner of speaking.

HALF TIME It is 0-0 at Eastlands and City have been the better side so far. Back in 15 mins!

If you want to debate the first half, head over to our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ESPNSoccernet. I'll be there with you, stalking all my ex-girlfriends.

KICK OFF Man City get us underway at the start of the second half.

Arsenal embark on an enterprising move but after Rosicky slaloms into the box he eschews a shot from a tight angle and squares to no one.

Rosicky spots Vela coiled and ready to spring but the Mexican is offside when he chases onto the neat through-ball from his team-mate.

GOAL! Carlos Tevez opens the scoring with a lovely, lovely strike. Rosicky lost possession on the left wing, Tevez got the ball, drifted inside and fired an unstoppable shot past Fabianski and into the top corner.

Arsenal look for an immediate response but Ramsey heads over from a corner. The defending for the Tevez goal was a bit dodgy but the finish was supreme.

From another corner, this time it is Rosicky who meets the delivery from the left but turns his header over the bar.

SWP charges down the right wing and tries to pick out Adebayor with a dinked cross, but the ball sails over the head of the Togo striker. City are dominating possession at the moment.

Arsenal carve City open when Vela plays in Ramsey but the Welshman attemps an ambitious shot that flies well, well off target.

Arsenal have a lucky, lucky escape. Bellamy crosses first time from the left and for some reason, the Arsenal defence have gifted Adebayor the freedom of the pitch. Put off by the onrushing Fabianski, he shoots wide. Horrible defending.

Fran Merida has been a touch disappointing tonight. Much was expected of him following that brilliant goal against Liverpool but he hasn't made much of an impact tonight.

Mikael Silvestre hauls down Adebayor and he is lucky that Song is there as a covering defender as he escapes with a yellow card. Silvestre almost joined City before deciding on Arsenal of course.

Craig Bellamy takes the resulting free-kick but Fabianski saves at his near post. That was a bit of a waste.

Carlos Vela 'challenges' for a high ball by jumping square into Lescott without even looking at the ball. You are never going to get away with that.

More uncertainty in the Arsenal defence as pressure from Tevez forces Fabianski into an unconvincing clearance.

It is not often that you see Arsenal resort to long balls but they have on occasions tonight. All invention appears to have seeped out of their young side for the time being.

Eboue looks to liven up his team-mates though and crosses for Vela, who fails to make contact. Ramsey then heads over from a Merida cross. That is more like it.

It looks as though Arsenal's dreams of making a record 14th semi-final appearance are hanging firmly in the balance. They haven't really looked like scoring.

Fran Merida looks to take the game by the scruff of the neck, demanding possession, and he slips a ball through for Vela who almost outpaces Toure to have a shot at goal. Almost.

Arsenal make a change with forward Sanchez Watt replacing holding midfielder Craig Eastmond. The youngster scored against West Brom earlier in the competition, can he repeat the trick?

Excellent footwork from Fran Merida as he makes space in the box but his rifled cross is cleared by City.

GOAL! And what a goal from Wright-Phillips. The son of an Arsenal legend collects the ball just inside the Arsenal half, torments Silvestre and then hammers the ball across goal and past Fabianski into the top corner. Brilliant.

Rosicky fires off a loose pass and it must be said, he has been rubbish tonight. As the most experienced member of his team, he should have been a shining light for the youngsters, instead he has been in the shadows.

Still the build-up play is nice and intricate from Arsenal but Given just hasn't had to make any real saves. City deserve their lead.

Hughes hands Tevez a rest with Vincent Kompany coming on to anchor the midfield and tighten things up a bit.

Armand Traore attempts a long ranger that flies off target. An evening to forget for the Frenchman.

Craig Bellamy is furious with a challenge from Jack Wilshere and points his finger in the face of the Arsenal man. It was a bit over the top but they quickly make up.

Sanchez Watt is bundled off the ball by Kompany and Wilshere then goes into the book for leaving his foot in.

City take off Wright-Phillips and replace him with Vladimir Weiss. A great performance from SWP who looks like he has sustained an injury.

Alex Song is a lucky, lucky boy. The defender is clearly the last man when he body-checks Stephen Ireland. Chris Foy books him but it should have been a red if he has judged to be a foul. Song gets a suspension anyway though for five yellows.

Craig Bellamy takes the following free-kick and after hitting the wall, sees his follow-up effort saved well.

Vincent Kompany goes into the book.

Aaron Ramsey quickly follows him for a trip on Micah Richards and this is quickly turning into a card-fest.

And another yellow, for Craig Bellamy after he hurtles into Emmanuel Eboue. That was a shocking tackle, it must be said, even if the actual contact wasn't too heavy.

Bellamy appears to have injured himself in the process but a bit of the magic spray and he seems okay.

Arsenal fail to make consecutive corners pay and Given remains an observer.

Merida looks to find Vela with a long ball over the top and the Mexican has too much to do. This has been a chance missed for Vela, what with Van Persie being sidelined for five months.

Again a long ball for Vela dribbles through to Given. It looks for all the world that Arsenal have given up here.

Stephen Ireland pounces on a loose ball to pick out Bellamy with a lovely pass but his vicious effort is parried by the hand of Fabianski. A great save from the Pole.

GOAL! Vladimir Weiss gets his first Manchester City goal. Bellamy exploited some horrendous defending from Song and Wilshere when nipping between the two before squaring for his young team-mate.

It really has been an emphatic performance from City with Bellamy and Wright-Phillips especially impressing. Men against boys? Maybe.

Arsenal hit the bar! Fran Merida measures a lovely shot from the edge of the box and his effort dips onto the woodwork. Unlucky for the young Spaniard.

This brings to an end a run of nine consecutive quarter-final defeats in all competitions for City, and it is thoroughly deserved. Goals from Tevez, SWP and Weiss take them through.

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