FA Cup fifth round replays: Arsenal 0 - Sheffield United 0 (After extra time Arsenal win 4-2 on penalties) Depleted Arsenal proved just too experienced for Sheffield United in last night's fifth-round replay, earning an away tie to Bolton with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win in a game they should have won in extra-time.
If only Arsene Wenger had been able to field a central defender as inspirational as Chris Morgan in the heart of his defence Arsenal might just have possessed the springboard necessary to avoid the indignity of enduring extra- time.
Morgan was superb in the middle of Neil Warnock's back three where his captain's impact extended to so upsetting Freddy Ljungberg that the Swede became thoroughly distracted from his attacking task.
Wenger arrived in south Yorkshire without nine members of his first-team squad, including a quartet of strikers, who were either injured or suspended. The absentees included Thierry Henry, but the strong suspicion was that, had the opposition been Bayern Munich, the Frenchman would have started.
If Warnock's wife, a Henry devotee, was disappointed at the Frenchman's no-show, Sheffield United's manager would have been delighted that Wenger granted his pre-match wish and selected Patrick Vieira in midfield. The only shame was that Arsenal's enforcer did not find himself in direct combat with Phil Jagielka, Bramall Lane's midfield answer to Vieira instead finding his pace relocated to the right of a back three.
Warnock has claimed that Jagielka and Michael Tonge could walk straight into Arsenal's first team and immediately look at home, but the latter, deployed in a withdrawn attacking role, spurned an inviting early opening.
It is not a moment Gael Clichy, played out of position at left back and, curiously, staioned behind Ashley Cole, will relish remembering because he was all too easily dodged by Derek Geary and Andy Gray.
Although Tonge stole between two defenders and connected with Gray's ensuing centre, his miscued shot sent the ball spinning wildly off target and over the bar. The shame was that Tonge elected to shoot on his favoured left foot, wheras his right might have been the better option.
A couple of Clichy's subsequent challenges appeared less than measured and he had reason to worry when he collected a yellow card for felling Geary, whose startling acceleration down the right was ruffling Wenger's men.
Pushed up front alongside Arturo Lupoli, Ljungberg might have done better than direct a first-half shot wide after darting in from the right to meet Lupoli's delivery in characteristically clever fashion.
Indeed the opening period was well under way before Paddy Kenny was seriously called to arms, the Irish goalkeeper reacting smartly to smother the danger from Vieira's right-wing cross.
Wenger introduced Quincy Owusu-Abeyie for the ineffective Lupoli for the second half but it had barely begun when another United cross nearly breached his defence. This time Nick Montgomery's ball was missed by Gray and Jon Harley before Tonge scuffed his shot.
At least Owusu-Abeyie was livening things up and, when Tonge was dispossessed in midfield, he raced on to Mathieu Flamini's through ball and found himself with only Kenny to beat. Timing his advance off his line well, Kenny parried one-handed.
Incredibly, it was his first proper save from a direct assault.
More swiftly followed, though, the coltish Owusu-Abeyie setting up Cesc Fabregas, whose effort was repelled by Kenny's outstretched foot.
Perhaps inspired by Owusu-Abeyie's enthusiasm, Vieira belatedly began dictating midfield and his long pass initiated a superb move which ended with Kenny stranded and Geary clearing off the line.
Arsenal had suddenly raised the bar, United were struggling to rise to the challenge and they were mightily relieved when Fabregas hit a post from 25 yards.
SHEFFIELD UTD: Kenny, Geary, Morgan, Bromby, Harley, Liddell, Montgomery, Jagielka, Thirlwell, Tonge (Quinn 97 mins), Gray. Subs not used: Francis, Kabba, Shaw, Haystead. Booked: Morgan.
ARSENAL: Almunia, Lauren, Cygan, Senderos, Cole, Fabregas (Toure 90 mins), Vieira, Flamini (Aliadiere 113 mins), Clichy, Lupoli (Owusu-Abeyie 45 mins), Ljungberg. Subs not used: Eboue, Taylor. Booked: Clichy, Lauren, Senderos.
Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).
