Matches –8 January 2011 – Arsenal 1 Leeds United 1
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Matches – 8 January 2011 – Arsenal 1 Leeds United 1 FA Cup third round – Emirates Stadium – 59,520 Scorers: Leeds - Snodgrass (54 minutes, pen) - Arsenal - Fabregas (90, pen) Arsenal: Szczesny, Eboue, Squillaci, Djourou, Gibbs, Rosicky (Vela 79), Denilson, Song (Fabregas 59), Arshavin, Chamakh (Walcott 68), Bendtner Leeds United: Schmeichel, Connolly, O'Brien, Bruce, Parker, Johnson, Howson, Gradel (Hughes 90), Snodgrass, Watt (Bromby 76), Becchio (Somma 85) A year after high profile FA Cup games against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United were given another glamour tie against high quality opponents when the third round draw paired them with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Manager Simon Grayson: “It‟s a fantastic draw, Arsenal are one of the best teams in the country and are one of the top footballing teams in Europe. I‟m sure our supporters will look forward to the game and we will sell the full allocation once again. “It‟s amazing when you look at the draws we‟ve had… In an 18- month period, we‟ve played Liverpool, Man U, Tottenham, Jermaine Beckford stuns Manchester United in the 2010 Cup clash and now Arsenal in the cups which is fantastic for the club and the fans. “As I said before the Man U game last season, we have a lot of League games to come before then and that is our focus. The players will all want to be involved for the Arsenal game and the League games are so important to us.” Chairman Ken Bates: “We know we can‟t lose, no one expects us to win which means they are under no pressure. The players can go out and express themselves and give a good account of themselves. They won‟t be saying in the dressing room this is a vital match and we must win this, the future of the club‟s in your hands. www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 8 January 2011, Arsenal 1 Leeds United 1 1 “I would think that Simon will say this is a fantastic opportunity in a magnificent stadium that holds 60,000 people so let‟s go and show what we can do and with that attitude the pressure is on Arsenal. “We will be on the world stage again because we are live on television and then hopefully we will have a great game, a great day and great day out and after that everything is a bonus. “The Premiership will hopefully get an idea of what they are missing at the moment.” The draw revived memories of previous cup encounters, for United the most memorable being when they beat the Gunners in 1972 to win the FA Cup by way of Allan Clarke‟s memorable diving header. The same score had seen Leeds win the League Cup in 1968 in a drab, ill-tempered Wembley final. In 1983, the two sides had taken part in a marathon FA Cup Halcyon days for United as Allan Clarke's header wins the FA Cup in 1972 fourth round encounter. The first match at Highbury finished 1-1, with the Elland Road replay returning the same score. In the second replay the Gunners won 2-1. Eight years later, the two clubs met again in the fourth round, when it took four matches and 420 minutes to separate them, an outcome which persuaded the FA to introduce penalty shoot outs. Leeds did not go into the 2011 encounter in particularly good form; since beating Championship leaders QPR 2-0 on 18 December, they had lost their way, playing through three draws and a defeat. Losing away to out-of-form Cardiff City was particularly disappointing. United had been lucky to go in at half time a single goal in arrears, but having equalised with a splendid strike from Robert Snodgrass, they got on top and looked like taking all three points. In the end, they lost to a sloppy goal that had Simon Grayson bemoaning his lot: “We conceded from a short corner and from a long ball over the top. They were both goals we could have cut out. We switched off and it cost us a point – and maybe all three. We should have had more points over the Christmas period but no team has got what it wanted and we are not going to beat ourselves up about it.” Asked if he would take a defensive approach at the Emirates, Grayson commented, “No, we won‟t be doing that. We will try and play how we play on a regular basis. I want us to score goals. That is my philosophy. I don‟t want to sacrifice the attacking side of it with a defensive approach. We have players who I feel can hurt any team that we play against. We will have a go. We have nothing to lose. There have been teams who went there and got results by defending and others who did so by www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 8 January 2011, Arsenal 1 Leeds United 1 2 taking the game to Arsenal. “Before every game, we do a presentation of all the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition. I am not sure how long we will spend on their weaknesses, to be honest. And there will be plenty of strengths. But Arsenal have deficiencies, like every team in the world. They are only human and do make mistakes, which we have to capitalise on. “We have a talented group of players who can create chances. We showed that last season, as we have again this year against the top teams in the Championship. We know we are going up a level now but I won‟t tell the players to do anything different to what they do week in, week out. I don‟t want to sit back and invite pressure. If we are going to lose, we will go down fighting. “I would back this squad to win a lot of matches in the Premier League if we were in there now. We would also lose a lot, too. We are a long way off the Premier League but this weekend is a test for us to see where we are at. We have nothing to lose. Cup games are a one off and, hopefully, we can cause a shock. “All I ask of my players is that they finish the game having no regrets. Ninety per cent of them will have never been to the Emirates before, never mind played there.” One player who did have previous experience of the stadium was Gunners winger Sanchez Watt, enjoying his second loan spell at Elland Road after contributing in the closing weeks of the promotion campaign. Surprisingly, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger agreed to Watt playing in the Cup-tie, and Simon Ben Parker tangles with Marouane Chamakh Grayson was delighted to be able to recall him to his starting line up for the first time since October, omitting Ross McCormack as a consequence. Elsewhere, Alex Bruce took Neill Collins‟ place at centre-back, and Luciano Becchio returned at Billy Paynter‟s expense. Wenger rang the changes after a goalless draw against Manchester City and fielded a number of reserves, though he did select ten full internationals, including Alex Song, Andrey Arshavin, Marouane Chamakh, Emmanuel Eboue, Tomas Rosicky and Nicklas Bendtner. Ominously, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Gael Clichy were all on the bench. United kicked off and immediately got onto the front foot, Becchio nodding on to Max Gradel down the left. Arsenal were forced to concede the throw, but the Whites (or Royal Blues on the day) could make nothing of it and were forced to go back into their own half. When they did launch the ball forward it ran harmlessly on to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Arsenal were the first to show any real threat, but when a crossfield ball promised to put Bendtner through on the right in the second minute, Ben Parker was quick to make ground and put it out for the throw. www.mightyleeds.co.uk - Matches – 8 January 2011, Arsenal 1 Leeds United 1 3 That was the signal for some nice controlled midfield possession by the Gunners, though United were quick to snap at their heels and Gradel showed that his pace down the left would offer a potential ace in the hole. Watt, too, showed his potential when given possession by Jonny Howson‟s smart challenge and pass after four minutes. He looked like he would cut Arsenal open with a surging run through the inside-right channel but was dispossessed by Sebastien Squillaci‟s block tackle as he reached the edge of the Gunners‟ penalty area. After Andy O‟Brien ended an Arsenal attack by picking up a through ball and passing back to Kasper Schmeichel, Becchio was given possession deep into Arsenal territory when Song‟s misplaced pass fell to him. The striker had Robert Snodgrass racing down the left into a marvellous position but elected to take on the chance himself and his scuffed execution saw a golden opportunity wasted. In the fifth minute Alex Bruce launched himself into a fierce challenge on Arshavin as the Russian threatened to cut through the Leeds defence after some neat interplay between Denilson and Rosicky. Arsenal clearly had a cutting edge, but United were denying them space in which to work when they reached the final third. The Gunners were playing a high back line, which was squeezing into the middle and encouraged Leeds by leaving some yawning gaps. United hinted at danger on the counter, fluffing one Kasper Schmeichel denies Andrei Arshavin in the first clear chance of the contest opportunity when Howson‟s driven through ball was just too long for Watt when he broke beyond the back four.