Arsenal:
                   Almunia
          Eboue Toure Senderos Clichy
Ljungberg Fabregas (Pires 65) Flamini Reyes (Cygan 85)
            Bergkamp   van Persie

After just 3 minutes, van Persie was chasing a ball into the Blades' box, and ran into their keeper Paddy Kenny just after he'd gathered the ball, thanks to a little nudge from Danny Cullip. No harm done, but Cullip had words with Robin and a hand was raised by the Arsenal man to push him away.

A couple of minutes later, after good battling by Freddie and Cesc, the latter got into a position to shoot from just inside the box. But it was weak and was easy for Kenny to deal with.

Up the other end on our left touchline, Senderos lost out to Montgomery in a chase for the ball when it hit the Swiss defender's heel and fell nicely for his opponent. But Montgomery had to wait for support after taking the ball forward and Senderos did well to recover and force a corner from the goalline by the edge of the 6 yard box. It was played towards the near side of the box and back to the corner taker, then crossed in to where Gray was allowed a free header. Almunia blocked it then had to jump to his left to push the ball clear of danger.

Senderos went on a terrific upfield run whcih helped Bergkamp find some space outside the box, but he delayed his shot and a block came in.

15 minutes in and Reyes went down on the edge of the box after playing a great one-two with van Persie (whose contribution was a very cut drag-back). Replays suggested it was a foul because Cullip put his arm out across Jose, but the foul had been just outside the box. Nothing was given anyway but Cullip's continued involvement in the major incidents proved to be ominous.

Freddie was put through deep on the right and played a nice cut-back to van Persie, but he scuffed his shot straight at Kenny.

Then the ball was chipped into the box for Cesc to run onto. Kenny came out quick and made himself big, and when Cesc tried to chip him he hit it far too high.

Flamini's terrific run took him to the edge of the box when he was tripped slightly but got the ball into the box to Freddie. He played it back to Bergkamp who this time hit it instantly but just over the bar.

On 26 minutes one of many extremely long United throw-ins landed in the goal mouth but with no United players nearby. We broke and van Persie created space for a shot from the left, from a narrow angle, which Kenny saved.

A minute later we broke again. Freddie put Reyes through on the left, just beating the offside trap. Kenny made a good parry on Reyes' shot but as the ball came back down to him he strangely chose to punch rather than catch. It came to Bergkamp on the right whose near post ball allowed van Persie to force a corner, but nothing came of it.

A long Blades free kick from their right found Bromby in space on the left, but he placed his free header over the bar.

Then Liddell (their hero from previous rounds) did a good turn and shot in the box which went just beyond the far post although Almunia may have had it covered.

So United were coming into it a bit more but Arsenal had had more of the play and looked dangerous. Then on 34 minutes came the moment which made it more tricky. First the was a challenge between Bergkamp and Cullip in the middle of the pitch, with Bergkamp going down but bouncing back up. Then Cesc had the ball and was tripped from behind, and as he fell forward Cullip ran over apparently to clear the ball, but he managed to kick Cesc in the head as he ran through/over him. Bergkamp was incensed and ran over, first waving his finger in Cullip's face as the United player held his hands out at the his sides in a "who, me?" kind of way. Bergkamp put at least one hand to Cullip's throat and was shown a straight red card for violent conduct. TV replays showed another hand, gloved unlike Bergkamp's, which appeared to come from Reyes, reach out in the ensuing kerfuffle and give Cullip a bit of a slap.

A few minutes later another long throw, from their right, was flicked on by the back of Cullip's head and looped into the net just inside the far post. The ref disallowed it but it was very hard to see why.

Michael Tonge kicked Eboue on the ankle from behind after the ball had gone, did the old "he dived" gesture, and then appeared to claim that the Aresnal right back had spat at him. Then in injury time Cesc was booked for a bad tackle on Montgomery on the other wing. Maybe he was lucky not to see red, but it didn't look as bad to me as some have claimed: he did lead with one foot rather than both, after all.

Former Arsenal striker Paul Shaw came on for Thirlwell at half time, as United looked to start making their numerical advantage count. Eboue resumed hostilities with Tonge with a late tackle.

Eboue went up on a good run, played a one-two with Flamini in the box and then tried to square it for van Persie but Kenny did well to read it. Eboue might have done better with a low shot as the keeper was staying upright to keep both options covered.

Van Persie controlled a long high ball really nicely in the D, with back to goal, but hsi half-turn-and-shot made it too easy for the keeper.

Then Reyes did a neat back-header which he turned to follow, and went on a good run which ended with being tackled in the box. He got up and chased back and got himself booked for a careless ("striker's") tackle. Then with 25 minutes left Pires came on for Fabregas, and made all the difference. Eboue made a good run onto a Pires ball up the right wing, and played the ball towards the near post where Reyes probably should have made a run, but didn't. From the resulting corner Freddie set Reyes up for a shot from the D which went just high and wide. Cullip tried to clear the ball over his head but it hit his own hand, then he fouled Freddie when he picked the ball up and tried to bring it past him. Kolo Toure took it, from 25 yards or so, a good drive but a simple save in the end. Then Kenny made another decent save from Reyes.

On 78 minutes Reyes and Pires combined well on the right wing, enabling Reyes to make a little run infield. He slipped the ball into the box for Flamini who'd gone forward, and although a defender managed to stretch and get a foot to it he failed to divert the ball away from Flamini. From the right side of the goal he tried a shot inside the far post which Kenny got down to but spilled, and Pires who'd started the move right out on the right was the only man to have followed up. Kenny managed to get a touch on the ball but not to stop it going in as Pires fired home from a yard or two out.

Eboue played another ncie ball to the near post which Reyes this time read well, but so had a defender. With 5 minutes to go Wenger made one of those "shut ut shop" substitutions which make everyone so nervous, bringing Cygan on for Reyes. It was disappointing because Arsenal had not looked understrength at all in the second half laregly through holding onto the ball well, so having a decent and fast striker on the pitch seemed to have more going for it.

Fabregas got onto a throw into the box but placed his volley past the far post. Then in the last minute of normal time Cygan made a hash of clearing the ball from the box from a corner, and when a United player tried a little chip into the box it hit Senderos' raised arm and the referee rightly had no hesitiation in awarding a penalty. Hopes were higher than usual, following the woefully bad shoot-out they'd been involved in in the previous round, but Gray sent Almunia the wrong way.

Replay on Tuesday March 1st, live on the BBC.