Arsenal (1) 5 - 1 (0) Wolves
Highbury, Tuesday 2nd December 2003
League Cup round 4
Arsenal:
Stack
Clichy Simek Tavlaridis Hoyte (Skulason 55)
Wiltord Cesc Vieira Bentley (Smith 78)
Kanu Aliadiere (Papadopolus 83)
Arsenal's youngsters (no player started both this match and
the Fulham game on Sunday) made it through to the last 8 by
ripping apart a Wolves team that, though somewhat weakened through injury, was as strong as they had available.
Vieira's return was more successful than had been hoped for: Wenger had expected to play him for 60 minutes only, but Paddy played the whole game and bossed it too. Possibly it was his presence that helped young Cesc look more comfortable than in his last (first) first team turn-out, and the kid scored the 5th and final goal, a simple tap-in, with 2 minutes to go making him Arsenal's youngest ever goalscorer.
It took 25 minutes for Arsenal to break through, and although the home side had been in control up to then the opener came thanks to a defensive slip. Aliadiere has to be credited for his alertness, however, as he intercepted a misjudged backpass.
Before that, Kanu had been typically wasteful. First he missed an easy chance from 6 yards out when Hoyte's cross found him unmarked, then he weaved past 3 defenders before hitting the post from (to be fair) a very tight angle. And he made it a hattrick of early missed chances when he dithered after Wiltord set him up.
Bentley, playing a right-sided left wing role like Pires, showed plenty of ability, and nearly scored with a free-kick that went just inches over the bar. Up the other end Stack (keeping Shaaban on the bench) made a great save.
After another typical moment (great run followed by going for goal instead of teeing up Aliadiere who was much better placed), Kanu finally got his goal with 20 minutes to go, a close-range effort from a Wiltord cross. Minutes later Aliadiere made it 3 with a terrific solo goal, bamboozling the defence with his 20 yard run before slamming the ball past Marshall in the Wolves goal.
Vieira set the 4th up for Wiltord with 10 minutes to go, and Alex Rae got their consolation moments later. Cesc's goal came just in time for the Arsenal crowd to have a few minutes of fun singing the song in the title of this report!
The bad news is that Justin Hoyte was stretchered off with what looked like an ankle injury, looked a bit nasty too.
According to our correspondent Marc, young American defensice debutant Frankie Simek was lucky to stay on the pitch after hacking down 2 Wolves players after running 15 yards to make a challenge that he had no chance of pulling off legally.
| 
