Arsenal 1-1 Leeds – 08/01/11 – (FA Cup 3rd Round) 10 January, 2011

Well that was almost a mini disaster wasn’t it? I didn’t have a chance to write a match preview for this game but I mentioned on my twitter that Leeds aren’t exactly my favourite team, I’ve been waiting a long time for us to face them again and I was looking forward to us hopefully knocking them out the cup.

We should’ve been 1-0 up after 10 minutes, Rosicky played a great ball over the top of the defence which Arshavin made a perfect run on to but never got his shot away and in the end he was far too close to Schmeichel by the time he did stick a boot on it. It was a chance that you’d expect Andrey to take with ease but it just demonstrated his lack of form and confidence. He’s not playing well at the moment and he looks like he knows it, his last few performances have not been up to scratch and he’s lost his place in our preferred starting XI to the now fit Walcott. Ipswich might be another chance for him to regain some form but I fear he might be dropped for that.

We had a string of chances around the half hour mark, Schmeichel Jr. doing well again making a few blocks and saves and we had one cleared off the line by Becchio. We were a bit unlucky to not be leading at the break but Leeds scrapped for the clean sheet so you have to give it to them. Kasper was making his dad proud but the best was yet to come from him.

We began the second period in the same form going forward but 10 minutes into the half Denilson gave away an easy penalty leaving a leg out for Max Gradel to go over. Snodgrass scored it despite Szczesny getting a hand to it.

Just after the hour they could’ve made it two. Becchio had a decent header from a corner but Szczesny made a great save down to his right. Either side of that chance Fabregas and Walcott were brought on and they changed our fortunes. Leeds were terrified of Cesc and they couldn’t deal with Theo’s pace and skill.

We saw out the game in attack but the visitors seemed to be holding out. I was going mental in my living room; nothing seemed to be going right for us but I just kept thinking how we always leave it late. I was not ready to go out of the FA Cup, not this early, not against them.

Snodgrass came close again from a free kick wrong-footing Wojciech but it went just wide.

A few minutes from the final whistle Walcott went down in the area and it looked like we had a penalty. I jumped off my seat and it turned out the linesman had flagged for an offside that happened after the challenge! I couldn’t believe it. It turns out Theo dived which he admitted and apologised for after the game. Interesting admission, I’m not sure about how I feel about that but you have to say fair play for his honesty.

A few minutes later though we were awarded a penalty and Theo was fouled. Leeds might feel a little hard done by for it but Walcott was pulled back in the area and that is a foul. The skipper stepped up and curled it down the middle with confidence to keep us in the cup.

Naturally, we went for the win and Bendtner was gifted the opportunity to make it 2-1 in injury time. I think it was Cesc who played a great ball over the top for him but he completely fucked it and it went wide. In that position he’s one of the few guys at the club I would expect to convert that kind of chance. Maybe it was tired legs but I felt he could’ve done well for himself then at a time when he’s trying to play himself into the team. Since his little outburst about not being in the team he hasn’t exactly done much on the pitch to prove his point.

There was time for just one last chance though. Denilson ran onto a dropping ball on the edge of the box and stuck his foot through it shooting across goal. It was firing into the top left corner but Schmeichel came out of nowhere to pull off a blinding save. I couldn’t believe it I would’ve gone mental but I had my head in my hands! It would’ve been the perfect victory, a volleyed screamer right at the end but fair play to their ‘keeper, he kept them in it. Denilson, like Bendtner could’ve made up for a poor game there with a late winner.

So we go to Elland Road next week and what a game that should be. I wonder if Arsene will play a stronger starting XI for that one but we’ll see. Fabregas was named our man of the match for his game-saving performance, I don’t know if it did but the official man of the match should’ve gone to Schmeichel.

Huddersfield await the winners of this tie in the next round which is a decent home tie for whoever can come out on top at Elland road. As I said, I’m not ready to go out of this competition yet, especially not to Leeds.

Squillaci picked up a hamstring injury on Saturday which puts us in real trouble because we only have Koscielny and a rehabilitating Djourou. Wenger says:

“If he [Squillaci] has a problem then we must quickly go for a player,” said the Frenchman.

“Squillaci came off with a little hamstring problem and if we only have two centre backs then that cannot work with the number of games we have.”

So I guess today and tomorrow we will be assessing the injuries to our defence and we might be having a little browse of the transfer market. More on that as I hear it.

Thanks for reading.