Arsenal late show downs Huddersfield
Javier Hernandez' face-saving strike gives Manchester United 2-1 win over Southhampton.
LONDON:
Arsenal, reduced to a 10-man team, needed a late Cesc Fabregas penalty to overcome plucky Huddersfield 2-1 and advance to the last-16 of the FA Cup.
Second-half substitute Fabregas scored from the spot on 86 minutes after League One side Huddersfield had fought back bravely from 1-0 down to level. Fabregas’s winner came after Terriers defender Jamie McCombe flattened Nicklas Bendtner in the area.
The Gunners, who had Sebastien Squillaci sent off just before half-time, had earlier taken the lead through a Peter Clarke own goal on 22 minutes. Huddersfield hit back through an Alan Lee header on 66 minutes to leave Arsenal facing the unwelcome prospect of a fourth-round replay.
Afterwards Fabregas expressed relief that Arsenal, who have reached next month’s League Cup final and face Barcelona in the Champions League last-16, had avoided another replay. “Today we won and we’re happy we don’t have to play an extra game,” Fabregas told ESPN. “We’re in Europe and playing the best team in Europe, so we don’t need an extra game.”
Disappointed Huddersfield manager Lee Clark took encouragement from his side’s display. “We’ve got to get that level of performance, if we can do that in the second half of the season in League One, we can do what we want to achieve,” said Clark.
Stoke downed Wolves 1-0 to advance in the FA Cup, while Manchestser City drew 1-1 with Notts County.
Meddling Ferguson hails Hernandez
Earlier, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he tinkered too much with his Manchester United line-up before hailing Mexican hotshot Javier Hernandez for another face-saving strike. United came back from a goal down to defeat third-tier Southampton 2-1 with Hernandez grabbing the winner for his second goal in two games.
The 22-year-old Mexican steered in the crucial goal, despite losing his footing in the execution, as he again proved his worth having scored in the 3-2 win at Blackpool in midweek. “He’s only had one chance and he’s scored - one chance, one goal is a tremendous ratio,” said Ferguson. “He has great feet in and around the box and gets his shots away quickly with hardly any backlift.”
Wigan claimed a listless 0-0 draw against Bolton, while Birmingham took a narrow escape and won 3-2 against Coventry.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2011.
Arsenal, reduced to a 10-man team, needed a late Cesc Fabregas penalty to overcome plucky Huddersfield 2-1 and advance to the last-16 of the FA Cup.
Second-half substitute Fabregas scored from the spot on 86 minutes after League One side Huddersfield had fought back bravely from 1-0 down to level. Fabregas’s winner came after Terriers defender Jamie McCombe flattened Nicklas Bendtner in the area.
The Gunners, who had Sebastien Squillaci sent off just before half-time, had earlier taken the lead through a Peter Clarke own goal on 22 minutes. Huddersfield hit back through an Alan Lee header on 66 minutes to leave Arsenal facing the unwelcome prospect of a fourth-round replay.
Afterwards Fabregas expressed relief that Arsenal, who have reached next month’s League Cup final and face Barcelona in the Champions League last-16, had avoided another replay. “Today we won and we’re happy we don’t have to play an extra game,” Fabregas told ESPN. “We’re in Europe and playing the best team in Europe, so we don’t need an extra game.”
Disappointed Huddersfield manager Lee Clark took encouragement from his side’s display. “We’ve got to get that level of performance, if we can do that in the second half of the season in League One, we can do what we want to achieve,” said Clark.
Stoke downed Wolves 1-0 to advance in the FA Cup, while Manchestser City drew 1-1 with Notts County.
Meddling Ferguson hails Hernandez
Earlier, Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he tinkered too much with his Manchester United line-up before hailing Mexican hotshot Javier Hernandez for another face-saving strike. United came back from a goal down to defeat third-tier Southampton 2-1 with Hernandez grabbing the winner for his second goal in two games.
The 22-year-old Mexican steered in the crucial goal, despite losing his footing in the execution, as he again proved his worth having scored in the 3-2 win at Blackpool in midweek. “He’s only had one chance and he’s scored - one chance, one goal is a tremendous ratio,” said Ferguson. “He has great feet in and around the box and gets his shots away quickly with hardly any backlift.”
Wigan claimed a listless 0-0 draw against Bolton, while Birmingham took a narrow escape and won 3-2 against Coventry.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2011.