Jack
Wilshere scored four minutes from time as Arsenal reached the fourth
round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Swansea in their replay at
the Emirates Stadium.
A stubborn Welsh rearguard was finally broken when Olivier Giroud
teed up the England midfielder whose drive from 20 yards was past the
impressive Michel Vorm in a flash.
It maintains Arsene Wenger’s proud record of never losing in the FA
Cup third round and the Gunners will travel to Brighton and Hove Albion
in the last 32.
Wilshere’s goal came from Arsenal’s 26th attempt in the game and they
were forced to be patient against Michael Laudrup’s side, who won 2-0
in the Premier League match in North London.
Michu, the two-goal hero in December’s encounter, was on the bench
and he watched a low-key first-half short of goalmouth incident.
The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock was when Wayne
Routledge’s cross from the left found Kyle Bartley but the former
Gunners trainee saw his header come back off the crossbar.
For Arsenal, Thomas Vermaelen’s scuffed effort from eight yards was
saved by the legs of Vorm with almost the last kick of the opening
period but they improved considerably after the break.
Swansea have made more clearances off the line than any other team in
the Premier League this season with eight and they made two more to
stay on level terms.
Wilshere’s shot was palmed in the air by Vorm and fell to Walcott
whose effort from no more than four yards was blocked on the line by the
chest of Danny Graham.
Frantic appeals for a penalty were correctly waved away by referee
Mark Clattenburg and from the resulting corner, Leon Britton nodded
Vermaelen’s header off the line.
Walcott, who earlier held off Chico Flores and dinked an effort over
Vorm only to watch it trickle past the far post, should have done better
after cutting inside the Spanish centre-back in the penalty area but
failed to hit the target.
And he was even more culpable when he found himself unmarked in the
penalty area but failed to make any contact on Bacary Sagna’s cross and
the cross came back off the far post.
Laudrup did bring on talisman Michu for the last 20 minutes but the
defence that held firm, despite absent captain Ashley Williams, for so
long was finally broken on 86 minutes.
Giroud, who had a poor evening and was profligate in front of goal,
provided a deft touch for man-of-the-match Wilshere to blast home an
unstoppable shot and send the Arsenal faithful home with something to
cheer after a freezing evening at the Emirates.
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