Ryan Giggs last night signalled a renewed intention to break the stranglehold Arsenal have imposed on the FA Cup after Manchester United were handed a relatively kind draw for the quarter-final.
United face Fulham or first division West Ham at Old Trafford on March 6th, in a game to be televised by Sky Sports at 12.30 p.m., whereas Arsene Wenger's team, aiming for a record fourth consecutive final appearance and a third successive win, faces a more daunting trip to Portsmouth or Liverpool.
Giggs scored United's last winner in a cup semi-final - a stunning extra-time winner against Arsenal in 1999 - though he has shared his team-mates' frustrations at their inability to make much of an impact on the competition since. "Since we won it five years ago we've not done anything in the cup to shout about at all," admitted the 30-year-old, who is with the Wales squad in Cardiff preparing for tomorrow's friendly with Scotland at the Millennium Stadium.
"It's about time we had a good run in this competition. People talk about Arsenal's stranglehold on the cup, but we can't think about them for the moment. It's about what we can do for ourselves."
Fulham and West Ham can draw inspiration from recent successes at Old Trafford. Fulham won 3-1 in the league this season and the east Londoners did so twice in 2001, with Paolo Di Canio scoring the only goal to knock United out in the fourth round.
Arsenal, who will face their fourth top-flight opponent in as many rounds, at Anfield or Fratton Park, have already overcome Leeds, Middlesbrough and Chelsea. "That shows we're performing to a high standard," said Dennis Bergkamp. "With these draws, nobody could then say we didn't deserve it if we went on to win the competition."
Should Liverpool edge through at Portsmouth on Sunday, they would at least be buoyed by the knowledge they were the last team to defeat Arsenal in the competition - in the 2001 final.
Tranmere Rovers' reward for overcoming Swansea is a trip to Millwall, guaranteeing an English League presence in the last four.
The other tie sees Sheffield United travel to Birmingham City or Sunderland, a game that will be shown by Sky Sports at 4.05 p.m. on March 7th, with the Blades striker Paul Peschisolido facing a nightmare if the St Andrew's club - where his wife Karren Brady is managing director - prevail in the replay. United's manager Neil Warnock said Peschisolido will be banned from giving interviews "to every Tom, Dick and Harry in the build-up so he can try, somehow, to concentrate on the game".
Guardian Service
