Arsenal:
             Lehmann
     Eboue Toure Campbell Cole
Hleb (Pires 71) Gilberto Song Ljungberg
    Henry van Persie (Reyes 71)

The game started slowly, the closest thing to a goal coming when van Persie hit the bar after being put through by Alexandre Song, but he was flagged offside anyway.

Sol Campbell, having a better game this time, raced back to block Samaras after the striker's good run up their left.

On the half-hour, the game came to life with a goal craftily set up by Thierry Henry and beautifully finished by Freddie. The skipper got hold of a difficult pass to take, managed to hang onto the ball despite close attention of a defender, and looked to be going nowhere till he slipped a typically cute reverse pass through for Freddie who made no mistake scoring with his second touch.

But 8 minutes later, just as you thought Arsenal were starting to take control, teh home side came back with a straightforward equaliser. Joey Barton swung a corner to the far post where Trevor Sinclair was able to nod it down, and the off-balance Sommeil had the space to sweep it in from close range.

Arsenal responded well, with a few more chances before the break. Sol headed wide at the near post from a corner. Henry nearly got to a cut-back from Alexander Hleb. Then the skipper combined superbly with van Persie, creating a chance for the former which he steered just beyond the far post.

Straight from the second-half kick-off, van Persie forced a save out of David James.

City came back out fighting too, but we had the better chances. James had to stretch to tip a van Perise cross-shot to safety, Henry's overhead kick flew just wide, and Freddie hit the foot of the post with James well beaten.

Then on 65, James showed that he can still stop a shot or 2, when he managed to get a hand to a Hleb piledriver from distance, and tip it over the bar.

Moments later, Jens Lehmann made an equally impressive save when he tipped a Micah Richards header over. Straight after that, Arsene Wenger rang the changes bringing on Reyes and Robert Pires, with the former taking van Persie's place up front. Jose's not been playing as an out and out striker much and it seemed to refresh him.

Staright after coming on, Pires forced a save from the City keeper, then Henry's free kick curled to James' left but out past the post.

Then with 12 minutes to go we got ahead at last. Emmanuel Eboue charged up the right wing after being set free by Pires. He got to the goal-line and cut th eball back to Reyes on the right of the box, and he opened up his body to steer the ball goalwards with the side of his left foot. Then we saw the other side of David James as he got to the ball (it was shot pretty much straight at him) but couldn't stop it trickling through and into the bottom corner.

Not enough to let us breathe easy yet, but 6 minutes later Jose's second clinched the points. Henry raced up the left, danced past a couple of challenges and into the box, then squared to Reyes who curled his shot high into the top corner giving James no chance.

So, some encouraging signs with Jose and Freddie scoring, and Sol and Ashley Cole both playing alright and coming through 90 minutes unscathed. Have the defenders done enough to get places in the final? And has Jose done enough to get the place alongside Henry if we go 4-4-2 for the final? Could be a good idea, as otherwise two out of him, Hleb, Bobby, and Freddie would have to miss out. Anyway, that's 10 days away. Let's get the win against Wigan first and cross our fingers for West Ham!