Sheffield United 0 - 3 Arsenal FC
Eduardo Da Silva struck twice to help Arsenal book their place in
the Carling Cup quarter-finals with a routine 3-0 victory over
Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
MikeEgerton/Empics
Denilson fires home a fine third
The Gunners striker let fly from the edge of the area after eight
minutes to put the visitors in charge before doubling their
advantage with another precise finish early in the second
half.
Denilson's deflected long-range effort sealed a comfortable
evening's work for Arsenal as they maintained their unbeaten start
to the season without really breaking sweat.
As expected, manager Arsene Wenger shuffled his pack, with not one
member of the side which kicked off Sunday's draw with Liverpool
named in the his starting line-up.
Wenger takes heart from double strike
Theo Walcott, Nicklas Bendtner and Eduardo all started in attack,
Gilberto Silva was handed a place in midfield and Lassana Diarra
made only his second start for the Barclays Premier League leaders
at right-back.
United boss Bryan Robson made changes of his own, retaining just
four of the side which kicked off Saturday's Coca-Cola Championship
draw with Hull. There was no place in the squad for leading scorer
James Beattie, with Jon Stead and Billy Sharp given the nod up
front.
Neither goalkeeper was troubled in the opening seven minutes but a
moment of brilliance from Eduardo soon changed that.
Bendtner slid the ball across to his strike partner on the left
edge of the area and the Brazilian-born Croatia international
hammered an unstoppable drive past Ian Bennett at his near
post.
Wenger opted to start with Walcott down the right flank and the
18-year-old's pace and trickery posed plenty of problems for the
Blades defence.
He got in behind United left-back Chris Armstrong and found
Bendtner who, again unselfishly, squared to Denilson, but the
midfielder's Brazilian technique deserted him at the worst possible
moment as his shot soared well over the bar.
The home side threatened briefly and Gunners goalkeeper Lukasz
Fabianski, perhaps questionably, opted to punch one dangerous cross
when catching it appeared the easier option.
With the Pole's handling less than convincing at times, it was no
surprise the Blades looked at their most dangerous from set
pieces.
They could count themselves unfortunate when Chris Lucketti's
dangerous header across goal from Nick Montgomery's floated
free-kick came to nothing.
Robson's side were almost made to pay moments later, however, when
Armstrong sold his goalkeeper short with a backpass but Bennett was
able to beat the advancing Eduardo to clear to touch. Again Walcott
was the creator in the 34th minute when he slid the ball across the
face of goal and only Lucketti's last-ditch challenge averted the
danger with Bendtner ready to pounce.
Comparisons have already been made with Gunners legend Thierry
Henry but the England international's finishing failed to match the
Frenchman's high standards seven minutes from half-time when he
timidly dragged a shot from the right side of the area from Abou
Diaby's pass.
It was a case of deja vu early in the second half when Eduardo
notched his second of the game with another clinical finish after
50 minutes.
The 24-year-old, who has scored 10 goals in as many games in
Croatia's European Championship qualifying campaign, raced onto
Kieran Gibbs' defence-splitting pass and calmly slotted beyond the
onrushing Bennett into the bottom-left corner.
United beat the Gunners on their last visit to Bramall Lane - a 1-0
Premier League victory in December - but Wenger's side are a
different proposition these days. Unsurprisingly, the Championship
side spent most of their time chasing shadows as the Gunners moved
the ball around at will with some slick interplay.
However, they continued to work to prise an opening and were almost
rewarded when Montgomery whipped a teasing cross in from the right
but Stead could only divert the ball wide at full stretch.
Walcott's profligacy was again apparent when he rounded Bennett but
could only hit the post with the hard work done, but the game was
put beyond doubt in the 69th minute when Denilson's 25-yard strike
hit United skipper Chris Morgan and looped over the wrong-footed
Bennett.
The experience of Gilberto came to the rescue of Wenger's young
side midway through the second period when the Brazilian retreated
to the Gunners line just in time to hook Lucketti's goalbound
effort to safety.
Robson brought on Danny Webber, Alan Quinn and Keith Gillespie as
his side began to tire but the changes had little impact.
Eduardo was denied his hat-trick late on when Morgan managed to
divert another well-struck shot for a corner and he was forced to
settle for a brace after being replaced by Nacer Barazite in the
85th minute.
With the game wrapped up, Wenger's side were happy to soak up the
pressure and claim their first victory over United at Bramall Lane
inside 90 minutes since 1991.
Wenger takes heart from double strike
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the best is yet to come from
Eduardo da Silva after the striker's double helped them book a
place in the last eight of the Carling Cup.
He said: 'When I sign a player I don't judge him at all in the
first six months. Never.
'I give him six months to adapt and don't put any pressure on him
because I know what it takes. You have to settle and get the right
level. You start to look at him really in January and
February.
'He started very well - like many people who come here - but after
a little bit of a dip, an injury, a problem with his ankle. Now he
looks to me like he is starting to settle and come back.'
With Robin van Persie currently sidelined, Eduardo will have surely
done his chances of a place in the Gunners' team to face Manchester
United Saturday lunchtime no harm.
Nor will team-mate Gilberto Silva, whose experience proved
invaluable to Wenger's young side.
The Brazilian World Cup winner, who has been kept out of the side
by Mathieu Flamini this season, came to their rescue midway through
the second period when, retreating to the Gunners line just in time
to hook Chris Lucketti's goalbound effort to safety.
Much was made of Wenger's decision to hand the captain's armband to
goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski rather than the midfielder, but the
Frenchman insisted afterwards that nothing should be read into the
decision.
'I didn't give the captaincy to Gilberto at the start of the season
because I didn't want to give it him and take it away again,' he
said. 'Gilberto has been a real leader on the pitch tonight for
me.
'There's basically no problem. I don't know why people see a
problem with Gilberto. The only problem is that he doesn't get at
the moment the number of games that he deserves.
'But there are a few other players in this case as you could see
tonight.'
Blades manager Bryan Robson, who made seven changes of his own,
felt his side could have prevented both of Eduardo's strikes.
He said: 'In the first half the players competed well. We had a
couple of moves where we got round the back of them and then the
first 45 minutes I was quite pleased with.
'I felt we could have done better for the first goal after looking
at the video.
'The thing which killed us was the second goal. There was no
awareness of where he (Eduardo) was and once Arsenal scored a
second goal, the way they pass it around makes it impossible to
come back.
'We stuck together well, worked hard, which is all you can ask of
them.
'Arsenal can pass people off the park, not just in this competition
but in the Premier League too. I saw them do it to Liverpool last
year and Newcastle in the last round.'
