Manchester City and Arsenal headline the fourth round of the FA Cup when they lock horns at the Etihad Stadium on Friday evening.
Pep Guardiola’s side thumped Chelsea 4-0 in the third round to set up a tie with the Gunners, who eased past Oxford United 3-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
City forward Riyad Mahrez is relishing Friday’s big FA Cup clash with Arsenal.
Mahrez is a big fan of the prestigious cup competition – the oldest national football competition in the world.
“It is a very good trophy, a very good cup. It is a historic cup in this country,” says the Algerian international.
“We won it once and it is something that we want to win more. We are going to go for it.
“I think it will be important to win. It is a challenge against a good team who are first in the league at the moment.
“They are the best team in the country at the moment. But they are coming to us on Friday, so let’s see what they can offer.”
City manager Pep Guardiola is looking forward to facing the “best team in the world right now”.
“It’s a big match, and a big test for us against in my opinion the best football team in the world,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it because it will tell us a lot about where we are.
“I think there are going to be two very very different games [between the FA Cup and league matches], and to put similarities into them is very unreal. Maybe because of the players on the pitch, but as well the context is extremely different.
“Let’s see – obviously it is important to win and play well. That gives you more momentum, more confidence and prepares you better for the next match, and that’s our focus on Friday.”
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