ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP THIRD ROUND: Arsenal 3 1 ShrewsburySHREWSBURY TOWN did not join Liverpool, Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers on the roll call of names that have ruined Arsene Wenger's and Arsenal's early season but they came close enough for him to lose another large dose of sleep.
“Sacked in the morning! You’re getting sacked in the morning!” had been the delirious chant from the visiting support to Wenger after he watched his side go behind during an often shambolic first-half performance.
Indeed earlier in the day Arsenal’s chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, had been moved to defend Wenger, insisting suggestions that the Frenchman’s methods no longer suit the modern game and that his position was under threat as “nonsense”.
However, class eventually showed, and a valiant Shrewsbury went down as expected. After the sides emerged for the second half all-square, a 25-yard shot from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after 58 minutes that slipped under Ben Smith, and a cool late finish from Yossi Benayoun sent the Emirates congregation home happy and relieved.
Before their defensive frailties reappeared, Arsenal had offered an opening flurry in which Marouane Chamakh twice threatened to score. Park Chu-young, the South Korea captain handed his debut by Wenger, found Kieran Gibbs down the left. His cross was flipped up to Chamakh, whose header was saved by Smith.
Moments later the striker was found by Francis Coquelin, who had wheeled round the back of the visitors’ defence, again down the left. This time, Smith’s legs made the save. From this apparently comfortable point, Arsenal proceeded to crumble during a hardly credible middle section of the half. Their inability to deal with the high ball that has plagued their season was again a big weakness.
Under a free-kick, Johan Djourou and Chamakh each jumped but somehow missed the ball and it bounced dangerously in the area, though Lukasz Fabianski could gather.
Emboldened, Shrewsbury pressed forward. This time, Marvin Morgan’s pass removed Carl Jenkinson too easily, and released Mark Wright. His shot trickled past Fabianksi and hit the post before the goalkeeper recovered to save the follow-up.
The worst of this Arsenal uncertainty was yet to come. From a throw-in on the right Morgan swung in a diagonal that Johan Djourou merely watched, and to which James Collins rose unchallenged, the striker easily slotting the headed finish past Fabianski.
After 16 minutes Wenger’s band had lost the plot. A further catalogue of near-disasters followed. These included Collins being inches away from finishing beyond Fabianski for a second time, and Arsenal’s rearguard gazing at another corner, which left Fabianski stranded and allowed Reuben Hazell a free header he should have converted.
Gibbs equalised with a 33rd-minute header from a Jenkinson cross, and Emmanuel Frimpong’s later free-kick drew a neat save from Smith.
Arsenal went ahead on 58 minutes through a bullet from the impressive Oxlade-Cha when the 18-year-old former Southampton trainee collected the ball 25 yards out, but he promptly mberlain.
There looked little ondrilled a low strike under Smith.
With 11 minutes left, Benayoun made the tie safe when he swept home from close range following good work in the right side of the penalty box by 18-year-old Dutch midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup, who had replaced Emmanuel Frimpong.
Guardian Service
ARSENAL: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Miquel, Djourou, Gibbs, Coquelin, Frimpong, Benayoun, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Park, Chamakh. Subs: Martinez, Miyaichi, Aneke, Boateng, Ozyakup, Watt, Yennaris.
SHREWSBURY: Smith, Grandison, Hazell, Goldson, Jacobson, Wright, McAllister, Wroe, Ainsworth, Collins, Morgan. Subs: Neal, Leslie, Richards, Bradshaw, Male.
Referee: Tony Bates (Staffordshire)
