csconstantine.com

{

Arsenal will have to negotiate a replay with Leyton Orient in order to set up an FA Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United after the League One side scored a stunning late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

GettyImagesPatrick Vieira heads home his second goal of the afternoon

• FA Cup Gallery

The Gunners appeared set for a trip to Old Trafford when Tomas Rosicky broke Orient's admirable resistance at Brisbane Road. However, a superb solo effort by Jonathan Tehoue earned Orient a deserved replay at Emirates Stadium.

With the possibility of a quadruple in mind, Arsene Wenger left out the majority of his top names, with Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri all conspicuous by their absence from the first-team line-up. There was, however, a full debut for 18-year-old centre-back Ignasi Miquel, who featured in an experienced Arsenal defence.

Emerging from the tunnel for kick-off directly off the back of the FA Cup quarter-final draw, which paired Sunday's winners with United, it was hardly surprising that Orient came out with extra zest in their play, Charlie Daniels sending an early 25-yard sizzler narrowly over Manuel Almunia's bar.

Unsurprisingly the bulk of the possession - more than 70 percent in the first half - belonged to Arsenal, but the frustrating figures of Andrei Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner failed to exert the Gunners' authority. Bendtner wastefully fired wide on a handful of occasions, while the best Arshavin could conjure up was well dealt with by Orient keeper Jamie Jones.

That all changed seven minutes into the second half though, as Rosicky steered a superb header into the bottom corner to grab his first Arsenal goal in more than a year. Bendtner was the man to provide the cross towards the edge of the area, where stand-in captain Rosicky found the net from 15 yards.

Rosicky had further chances to add to Arsenal's lead as the game opened up, and Arshavin clipped the outside of the far post, but it was Orient who found the game's second goal as Tehoue danced past Kieran Gibbs and Miquel to drive past Almunia.

Gunners old boy Patrick Vieira was the unlikely two-goal hero as Manchester City battled their way to a 5-0 win over Notts County in the FA Cup fourth-round replay at Eastlands, with Edin Dzeko, Micah Richards and Carlos Tevez also on the scoresheet.

Although the Premier League side struggled to exert their superiority for significant spells, they converted their chances with clinical efficiency to earn a fifth-round match at home to Aston Villa.

Manager Roberto Mancini was scathing in his assessment of City following their 0-0 draw with Aris Salonika in midweek, and he will have found little to cheer him during an opening 25 minutes that was dominated by the visitors. Joe Hart had been called into action on several occasions before Karl Hawley cut in from the left and curled a 30-yard drive onto the inside of the post.

That scare appeared to wake City from their slumber, and they had just about managed to grasp control of the game by the time Vieira nodded them into a 35th-minute lead from David Silva's corner. City then punished County their first meaningful attack of the second half, with Vieira on target after soaring to meet Aleksandr Kolarov's corner.

Only with the two-goal cushion did City look truly comfortable, and their players began to play with less inhibition. Tevez, introduced as a substitute, thundered a shot narrowly wide from 25 yards, before latching onto Dzeko's through ball and finishing coolly. He went onto return the favour, standing up a cross for the Bosnian to nod the ball in from under the crossbar. There was still time for one more, with Richards controlling a corner before swivelling to fire a left-footed volley in.

Ivan Klasnic scored his second FA Cup goal in the space of four days as Bolton overcame Fulham 1-0 in a fractious encounter to seal a quarter-final trip to Birmingham.

The Croatian striker scored the only goal in Wednesday's fourth-round replay against Wigan and he was on target again today with a volley from 12 yards.

More to follow

Agences de presses

Labels: charge, Gunners, Orient, quadruple