CITY 1 ARSENAL 2
Rumbelows Cup 3rd Round
30th October 1990
Attendance 26,825
scorers
City Allen(84)
Arsenal Groves(50), Adams(64)
Ref K Redfern
City Coton, Harper. Pointon, Reid, Hendry, Redmond, White, Heath, Quinn, Megson, Ward – subs Allen(62), Brightwell(76)
Arsenal Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Thomas, Bould, Adams, Groves, Davis, Smith, Merson, Limpar – subs Campbell(73)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
DAVID LACEY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 31ST OCTOBER 1990
Arsenal last night gave Manchester a further reminder of their qualities away from home, but this time without the histrionics which had marred their victory at Old Trafford 10 days earlier and led to a second disrepute charge from the Football Association.
There is nothing disreputable about the 2-1 win over Manchester City at Maine Road which took Arsenal through to the third round of the Rumbelows Cup with scarcely a hitch. City, unbeaten since losing at Tottenham on the opening day of the season, often matched Arsenal’s zest but seldom equalled their control and organisation.
Groves and Davis were cautioned by Ken Redfern, one for kicking the ball away at a free kick, the other after a brief entanglement with Reid, and at one point the referee suggested to Adams that a period of silence from Limpar would be most welcome, but otherwise Arsenal’s conduct gave no cause for concern.
… City had their moments, and their best chance came immediately after Arsenal had gone ahead early in the second half. Quinn was just wide with one of his lofty, headers and when he nodded down a ball from Megson near the Arsenal penalty spot, Heath shot clipped the bar on its way into the crowd.
However, there was rarely a consistent pattern about City’s football, which relies heavily on Ward and white having the speed to outmanoeuvre opponents on the flanks. Last night Dixon and Winterburn, two of the quickest full-backs in the country, were never seriously beaten for speed, with the result that Quinn did not receive the consistent service he needed to make his height tell against his former colleagues
George Graham’s decision to play Groves on the right wing instead of Rocastle was vindicated. Groves always looked sharp, and midway through the first half he caught Coton two yards off his line with a quickly struck lob from 25 yards which dipped over the bar with the goalkeeper groping.
White’s indifferent first touch stopped City making better use of two chances either side of half-time and it was not long before Arsenal showed how to make an attack tell in the 50th minute Dixon advanced on the right before finding Merson, who exchanged passes with Smith and then drove the ball low across the goalmouth for Groves, arriving unmarked at the far post, to score.
Four minutes past the hour Limpar swung a corner from the left towards the near post and Adam’s header found the mark.
Campbell having replaced Limpar, failed to beat Coton after Smith had sent him clear, and with six minutes remaining Allen, on for Megson hooked the ball past Seamen after Quinn had nodded on a free kick from Redmond. But Arsenal saw out the mini-crisis without much fuss.