Promising attitude allows class to prevail.
Despite a breathtaking strike from a former Arsenal trainee, Arsene’s graduates showed they are ready for the real world with a focused and determined performance. Our player of the season so far opened the scoring with our first real attack, Andrei Arshavin fed Samir Nasri and some neat footwork and a cool head gave us the lead. We played with real snap in attack, Chamakh and Bendtner both came very close and we were alert enough to deal with any lucky ricochets Leeds benefited from at the other end. It wasn't long before we doubled our lead in the 36th minute. On his return from suspension following the red card he picked up in the first game, Bacary Sagna delivered a bullet finish which Kasper Schmeichel could only deflect into the top corner. It was reminiscent of the goal that he struck out of the blue at Goodison Park earlier in the season but this time it was into the far corner. Another away game against lesser opposition and another ruthless display from the Arsenal.
However, the game was brought back to life in the second half by lifelong gooner and former Arsenal trainee Bradley Johnson. He rifled an unstoppable strike into Sczcezny’s top corner from 30 yards which briefly threatened to bring about the Arsenal collapse that Adrian Chiles had gleefully predicted at half time. Arsene Wenger had the tools to stop any momentum Leeds were building though and he needed little encouragement to thrown on Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas in a double substitution that gave us an increased threat in the final third. The game was made safe five minutes after their introduction in the76th minute when Niklas Bendtner’s brilliant cross was headed in by van Persie.
We now host another Yorkshire team in the next round but Arsene Wenger will be desperate for us to turn up with a performance first time round to prevent the fixture headache that another replay would cause. Arsenal v Huddersfield has some historical resonance with the Herbert Chapman connection and another Arsenal loanee, striker Beink Afobe, will potentially line up against us. Still, if we have the focus that has proved so illusive at the Grove this season, progression to the fifth round is within reach.
There is no question that this side has suffered from complacency but when the pressure is really on to perform, our maturing players now appear to be ready to step up to the plate.