ARSENE WENGER ran into some inspired French resistance in his first FA Cup sortie, early warning that Arsenal's manager may find success on this celebrated English front harder than triumphant campaigns elsewhere. If not haunted by the feats of Sunderland's goalkeeper Lionel Perez, a compatriot Wenger knows well, Arsenal's manager had the distinct look of world weariness after this FA Cup initiation.
Arsenal may miss the suspended Ian Wright as much in the Premiership at Sunderland on Saturday as they did here at Highbury this weekend. And they will return to Roker Park the following Wednesday for the replay also without the banned John Hartson - or an out and out first team striker.
Dennis Bergkamp can be excluded from that classification because he is so unhappy in that role. And the Dutchman, as Wenger admitted, is still suffering hamstring trouble.
Arsenal would rather blame the remarkable reflexes of Perez and Steve Dunn's denial of a penalty for a FA Cup complication that threatens to extend their dismal recent record in the FA Cup.
After failing to change officialdom's mind over the recent sendings off of Tony Adams and Wright, it was no surprise Arsenal failed to convince Dunn with their penalty appeal when Steve Bould's shot was handled by Andy Melville a minute before halftime. The ball may also have crossed the line.
So Sunderland escaped a goal, failing that a penalty and with it, under strict interpretation, a sending off for Melville. All this prompted a familiar refrain about referees, if this time in a French accent. Some Sunderland players fouled four or five times," said Wenger, "and there was no yellow card. Things that killed the game in midfield, like pulling shirts."
Sunderland manager Peter Reid spoke with characteristic bluntness. "It hit Melville on the hand," he said of the penalty debate. "I've seen them given, and I've seen them not given."
What he did see overall was a stubborn defensive performance, highlighted by the 29 year old Perez and a reversal of the ill fortune that beset Sunderland, here in September, when he was banished from the dug out and two of his players were sent off.
Reid spent most of the afternoon directing his team to close down Arsenal. So he was pleasantly surprised after 20 minutes to hear of Michael Gray's equaliser - the manager was en route from the stand - and to learn that his tenacious midfielder had enjoyed so much space before squeezing his low shot past John Lukic.
Hartson had 10 minutes earlier escaped Sunderland's central defence to head in a cross from Paul Merson, who suffered most of all from Perez's unorthodox defiance.
"He often saves with his legs," shrugged Reid.
The Frenchman's piece de resistance, however, was his diversion of Merson's point blank jab seconds into the second half.
