Manchester City - 1 Arsenal - 2: Arsene Wenger celebrated confirmation of his new contract by watching his Arsenal stars of the future dump Manchester City out of the League Cup at a half-full Eastlands.
Wenger's new deal commits him to Highbury, and then Ashburton Grove, until 2008. By that time some of the youngsters on show last night should be leading the Gunners into battle, and in match-winner Robin van Persie and 17-year-old Italian Arturo Lupoli, the future looks in safe hands.
Although the first three-quarters of the contest were largely forgettable, Lupoli gradually got into his stride, and while 21-year-old Van Persie took time to show exactly why Wenger compares him to Dennis Bergkamp, he eventually managed it.
It was Lupoli, who like Van Persie was making his first senior start, who set the young Dutchman up for their opener 13 minutes from time, Van Persie sweeping home a first-time shot from a similar position to the one he had missed woefully from earlier in the game.
Victory already seemed assured before a frantic period of stoppage time saw Daniel Karbassiyoon add a second and Robbie Fowler pull one back, although with no time to restart the game, Arsenal's place in the last 16 was never under threat.
It was almost half an hour before either side had a shot, a long-range effort for Shaun Wright-Phillips that Manuel Almunia, one of four debutants in the visitors' line-up, collected at the second attempt.
Along with Ireland's Willo Flood, Wright-Phillips was one of the two players on view who actually looked capable of lifting the game above the level of mediocre.
It was Antoine Sibierski though who provided the cushioned header from Danny Mills' free-kick that set up Fowler a minute later. Unfortunately for Fowler, he provided a cameo of the latter stages of his career, intelligently giving Seb Larsson the slip to stride into the box unopposed, then sending a half-volley bouncing harmlessly wide.
Arsenal, who had spent most of the opening period attempting to emulate Wenger's first choice side with a slick passing game without any success, briefly came to life as Lupoli advanced to the edge of the home box without being confronted by a single City defender.
Eventually, Sylvain Distin did close him down, although the Frenchman was thankful the ball looped wide instead of over Waterreus' head and into the net as it might have done when Lupoli cannoned his shot straight at him.
On the basis that it could not be much worse, the second half was better - but only just. Yet again, both teams were largely consigned to speculative shots, with Wright-Phillips testing Almunia from long range, while Jermaine Pennant blazed wide at the other end after skipping past Ben Thatcher.
Van Persie's rushed attempt to convert Quincy Owusu-Abeyie's cut-back raised serious question marks over the Bergkamp comparison as his shot flew way over the bar.
The Dutchman is clearly a quick learner though and after harshly being adjudged to have handled before delivering a cross-shot that Lupoli turned home after Waterreus had failed to collect cleanly, he made his decisive contribution.
A pulsating period of injury time was at odds with the remainder of the match and not even Fowler's second goal in as many games was enough to cheer the home fans.
MANCHESTER CITY: Waterreus, Thatcher, Distin, Mills, Onuoha, Flood, D'Laryea (Bradley Wright-Phillips 79), Sibierski, Sinclair (Negouai 69), Shaun Wright-Phillips, Fowler, Negouai (Jordan 83). Subs Not Used: Stuhr-Ellegaard, McCarthy. Goals: Fowler 90.
ARSENAL: Almunia, Hoyte, Cygan, Senderos, Larsson, Pennant (Djourou 89), Fabregas, Flamini, Smith (Owusu-Abeyie 61), Van Persie, Lupoli (Karbassiyoon 82). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Cregg. Goals: Van Persie 78, Karbassiyoon 90.
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).
