Arsenal 2-1 Hull - FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea

[Karl]

Arsenal 2-1 Hull


By Phil McNulty



Robin van Persie celebrates Arsenal's victory


Arsenal scored twice late on to sink Hull City and set up an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

Nick Barmby's deflected shot gave Hull the lead after 13 minutes and they held their advantage for more than an hour.
Robin van Persie capped a sustained spell of Arsenal pressure when he slammed home Andrey Arshavin's pass from close range with 16 minutes left.
And Hull were left appealing in vain for offside as William Gallas headed in the winner after 84 minutes.

It ended a gallant fight by Hull and confirmed Arsenal's first visit to the new Wembley.

Phil Brown's side were thwarted just as it looked they might survive a second-half Arsenal onslaught and reach the last four of the FA Cup for the first time in 79 years.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made six changes to the side that beat Blackburn 4-0 on Saturday - but gifted Russian playmaker Arshavin was fit start, despite having stitches in a foot injury.

And they were shocked when the veteran Barmby gave Hull an early lead.
Barmby got on the end of Andy Dawson's pass, and his effort took a crucial deflection off Johan Djourou and looped over goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, deputising for Manuel Almunia.

Hull posed the bigger danger in the opening exchanges, with Geovanni's free-kick turned over by Fabianski and Barmby having another goal ruled out for offside.

Kamil Zayatte then headed over from Peter Halmosi's cross as Arsenal struggled to turn possession into any concerted threat on goal.
Arsenal finally started to apply serious pressure as the interval approached, with Sam Ricketts blocking superbly from Arshavin.

And Hull were under the cosh at the start of the second half, with Abu Diaby heading wide from Arshavin's corner before Arsenal's £15m new boy was again denied by Ricketts.

Dawson then smuggled Van Persie's header off the line, with Alex Song shooting just wide from the rebound.

Song was replaced by Nicklas Bendtner after 64 minutes, while Carlos Vela was also replaced by Samir Nasri.

Van Persie then led an assault on the Hull goal which led to him finally breaking their resistance and giving Arsenal a deserved equaliser with 16 minutes left.

He saw a free-kick well saved by keeper Boaz Myhill and struck the bar with a header before Arshavin showed great composure in the area to set him up for a powerful finish from close-range.

Hull almost regained the lead immediately, Geovanni shooting just wide after a moment of hesitation from Djourou.

But it was Arsenal who had the momentum, and it took yet another heroic intervention from Ricketts to deflect Bendtner's shot to safety.

The transformation was complete with six minutes left when Arsenal took the lead in questionable circumstances, although Myhill must also take some responsibility.

The keeper failed to collect Nasri's lofted free-kick into the box, but Gallas looked to be in an offside position when he headed home from three yards.

Hull threw everything forward in a bid to restore equality, but Arsenal survived in comfort to reach the last four.


Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Gallas, Djourou, Gibbs, Walcott (Eboue 82), Song Billong (Bendtner 64), Diaby, Vela (Nasri 64), Van Persie, Arshavin.
Subs Not Used: Mannone, Toure, Denilson, Silvestre.

Booked: Gallas, Nasri.

Goals: Van Persie 74, Gallas 84.

Hull: Myhill, Ricketts, Gardner, Zayatte, Dawson, Ashbee (Hughes 46), Barmby (France 76), Geovanni, ************an, Manucho, Halmosi (Mendy 67).
Subs Not Used: Duke, Garcia, Folan, Featherstone.

Booked: Halmosi, Myhill, Dawson, France, Manucho.

Goals: Barmby 13.

Att: 55,641

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin 8.20 (on 90 minutes).

[Karl]

Late Gallas Goal Sees Arsenal Past Hull City In FA Cup

Late Gallas Goal Sees Arsenal Past Hull City In FA Cup

The Gunners came from a goal down to dump Hull out of the FA Cup and book themselves a semi-final date with Chelsea.

Arsenal 2-1 Hull City

17 Mar 2009 22:42:29




FA Cup: William Gallas, Arsenal - Hull (PA)

Arsenal took on Hull City in their belated quarter-final FA Cup clash, each hoping to earn a place in the last four of the competition and a date with Chelsea.

The Gunners made six changes from the side that cruised past Blackburn Rovers at the weekend inserting the likes of Fabianski, William Gallas and Carlos Vela into the starting lineup.

Not to be outdone, Hull also reshuffled their side but crucially retained Geovanni, the man who hit a stunning goal as the Tigers achieved a surprise victory the last time the two sides met at the Emirates.

Indeed that result was brought swiftly to mind by all inside the ground as the visitors took the lead as early as the 13th minute.

A hopeful ball into the box by Andy Dawson found Nick Barmby who allowed the ball to bounce over his shoulder before firing a left-footed effort goalwards.

His shot took a fortunate deflection off Johan Djourou to loop over a helpless Fabianski and into the back of the net to hand the visitors a shock lead.

Yet it might have been so much better for the Tigers in a first half in which Arsenal struggled to find any sort of rhythm whilst also looking out of sorts defensively.

Mid-way through the first half Gallas pulled Peter Halmosi down, just outside the box.

Cue Geovanni who firing a curling effort over the wall but couldn’t beat Fabianski who acrobatically tipped the ball over for the corner.

From the resulting corner more poor Arsenal defending saw the ball only cleared as far as Dawson on the edge of the box who fired a low shot back into a packed penalty area.

Whilst his effort looked wayward, Barmby nicked in at the far post to divert it past Fabianski, yet crucially for the home side he was offside and the goal was chalked off.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger’s men were struggling to create anything much of note at the other end.

Arshavin came the closest for the Gunners, shooting low and accurately but seeing his effort brilliantly blocked by a desperate Ricketts before another fierce volley fizzed wide of Myhill’s left hand post.

Yet it was Hull who might have added the second. A free-kick by Halmosi into the box caused confusion and with Fabianski missing his punch, Zayatte could only head onto the roof of the net.

Phil Brown was forced into a change at half-time with the hamstrung Ian Ashbee being replaced by Bryan Hughes and a determined Arsenal side ensured the visitors began the second half on the back foot.

Abou Diaby almost scored in the opening exchanges after connecting powerfully with an Arshavin corner but his header flew a few inches wide.

Minutes later and a Robin van Persie's header was forced off the line by Dawson with Song somehow hooking the rebound wide.

The Gunners were ramping up the pressure, even forcing the 35-year-old legs of Barmby to track back and deny Arshavin with a superb last ditch challenge just on the half mark.

Yet they couldn’t find an equaliser and with 25 minutes remaining a frustrated Wenger sent on Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner.

However, it was van Persie who almost grabbed a goal minutes after their arrival. The Dutch striker curled a low free kick around the wall but not past Myhill who got down low to parry the ball around his post.

From the resulting corner it was the striker again, this time heading onto the woodwork as Hull stubbornly kept their illustrious hosts at bay.

However, Arsenal were simply not to be denied and with 20 minutes to go they finally dragged themselves back on level terms.

Bendtner did well inside the box to cross for Arshavin and he cleverly cut the ball back to van Persie to drive home from close range.

Yet Hull might have restored their lead within minutes. A Djourou mistake allowed Geovanni time to shoot and his effort worried Fabianski but flew just high and wide.

As time ticked away the chances came thick and fast. Myhill spilling a cross and allowing Bendtner an open goal to shoot at but the Dane thrashed over before Arsahvin teed up Gibbs to shoot straight at the Hull stopper.

A winner for the home side looked inevitable and it duly arrived with five minutes remaining.

A long ball into the box was not dealt with by Myhill and allowed a suspiciously offside looking Gallas to head into an empty net from a few yards and ensure Arsenal are off to Wembley.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Gallas, Djourou, Gibbs, Walcott (Eboue, 82), Song (Bendtner, 65), Diaby, Vela (Nasri, 65), Arshavin, Van Persie.

Hull: Myhill, Ricketts, Gardner, Zayatte, Dawson, Ashbee (Hughes, 46), Barmby (France, 76), Geovanni, ************an, Manucho, Halmosi (Mendy, 68).

GOALS

2-1 Arsenal (Gallas, 84)

1-1 Arsenal (van Persie, 74)

0-1 Hull City (Barmby, 13)

Gill Clark, Goal.com

[Karl]

Arsenal set up Chelsea semi

Arsenal set up Chelsea semi

(AFP) Tuesday 17 March 2009

Arsenal's new-found resilience was underlined as Arsene Wenger's side staged a late rally to win an ill-tempered clash with Hull and book a Wembley FA Cup semi-final date with Chelsea.

Nick Barmby's 13th-minute strike had given Hull hope of performing an encore to their September victory at the Emirates in the English Premier League. But Robin van Persie and William Gallas both found the net in the final quarter-hour to send the Gunners through to the last four of the world's oldest knockout competition, as well as ensuring the club's first appearance at the new Wembley.

Gallas will not have the chance to lead Arsenal out at the national stadium, having been stripped of the captaincy earlier this season, but the France defender underlined his value to the club with his headed winner, six minutes from time.

Arsenal had received a pre-match boost with Andrey Arshavin being passed fit to start. The Russian playmaker had been unplayable against Blackburn on Saturday, but neither he nor Arsenal were to perform with the same fluency as in that 4-0 romp and it was little surprise that Hull took the lead through Barmby, an erstwhile star for their north London rivals Tottenham.

Arsenal's defence hesitated when confronted with a long ball from Andy Dawson, allowing Barmby to find the net with a volley and the help of a deflection off Swiss internationl Johan Djourou. Gunners goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, offered a chance to impress in place of the rested Manuel Almunia, then produced a fingertips save to prevent Hull's Brazilian playmaker, Geovanni, from doubling the lead from a free-kick.

Gradually the Gunners began to assert themselves and efforts from Arshavin and Abou Diaby went close before van Persie forced Hull keeper Boaz Myhill into a fine save with a perfectly-executed free-kick from 25 yards. The Dutch striker was not to be denied, however, finally finding the net with 16 minutes left thanks to the persistence of substitute Nicklas Bendtner.

The big Dane's dogged determination enabled him to work the ball to Arshavin who provided the cutback from which van Persie fired Arsenal level. Bendtner then had a close-range shot blocked behind by Michael Ricketts but Arsenal avoided a replay with six minutes left, with Gallas heading home the winner despite Hull protests that he was in an offside position.

[Karl]

If one says Gallas was not off-side at the taking of the free-kick...and the first contact with the ball was Hull's 'keeper...and the second Gallas'...then...no offside!

...but if at the taking of the free-kick Gallas was in an offside position...and compounded the first contact was not the Hull 'keeper but an Arsenal player...then...offside!

...but the ref's decision is final and it is the GUNNERS in the semis.

mmmm?
Could this mean, it was written GUNNERS FA Cup Champs?

[Mosiah]

Sounds like yuh don't want to admit that he was offside.

[Karl]

Yuh waan more dan GUNNERS advance?

[HL]

Arsenal NEED to get rid of Bendtner.

I just dislike this guy so much...even if he scores.