Sport

Man City should prove their worth, says De Jong

December 02, 2009 Edition 2

MANCHESTER: Nigel de Jong believes that Manchester City's League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal provides a perfect opportunity to make up for their recent problems.

City have the chance to reach the semi-final of a major competition for the first time since 1981 tonight when they host Arsene Wenger's side at Eastlands.

And with a league game at home against Chelsea to come at the weekend, Dutch midfielder De Jong acknowledges that the meeting with Arsenal is an ideal way to lift the gloom generated by a run of seven consecutive Premier League draws.

It is also another opportunity for Emmanuel Adebayor, who was given a three-match ban after being sent off in the 4-2 league win over the Gunners in September, to face his former club.

Mark Hughes's side have surrendered leads in four of their last five league matches and have had to settle for draws at home against Fulham, Burnley and, most recently, Hull.

The City manager is faced with mounting speculation about his future but former Hamburg man De Jong insists that the expensively-assembled squad must take responsibility for the current problems.

And with City supporters desperate for a first piece of silverware since they won this competition in 1976, De Jong admits it is time that Hughes' team showed what they are made of.

Wenger makes no bones about the fact that the League Cup is bottom of his list of priorities, but he insists that will not affect Arsenal's determination to bounce back from Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Chelsea, which has severely dented the club's Premier League title aspirations.

The Frenchman is happy to send out a selection of fringe players and the team that faces City will also come up against Olympiacos next week, as the Gunners have already secured qualification to the knock-out phase.

For Blackburn, the dread ahead of tonight's quarter-final meeting with Carlo Ancelotti's side at Ewood Park should only be compounded by the memories of their last encounter - a 5-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge in the league .

Brett Emerton, for one, is relishing the prospect of tussling with England's team of the moment.

The Australian midfielder has tasted bitter disappointment in cup competitions before with Rovers - he was knocked out of the FA Cup semi-finals by Arsenal in 2005 and the last four of the League Cup by Manchester United a year later - and now, it seems, the time has come to atone.

For Emerton, the desire to defy the odds tonight is particularly keen. The 30-year-old is reaching the twilight of his top-level career but has still to taste a major final.. - Sapa-AFP

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Defending champions Manchester United advanced to the League Cup semi-finals last night by beating Tottenham 2-0, while Aston Villa beat Portsmouth 4-2.

United midfielder Darron Gibson struck twice in the first half. Anderson was the creator of the opening goal, surging forward before laying the ball into the path of Gibson, whose low shot crept into the corner of the goal.

The second came at the end of a flowing move started by Park Ji-sung and continued by Dimitar Berbatov, who picked out Danny Welbeck and played a one-two with Gibson. The midfielder struck high into the net from the edge of the area. - Sapa-AP