FA Cup: Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa – Gunners Silence Boo-Boys With Comeback Win At The Emirates (Photos & Highlights)

Alan Duffy

29th, January 2012

3 Comments

By Alan Duffy

Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa – FA Cup – 29th January 2012


With Aston Villa going in at half-time two goals up, Arsene Wenger would no doubt have been preparing himself for a mountain of abuse from the Emirates crowd for the rest of the afternoon. However, thanks to a superb seven-minute surge straight after the break, the Gunners secured a vital victory and a place in the fifth round of the cup.

It was business as usual for the home side in the first-half, having the majority of the possession without scoring before crumbling at the back, not once but twice, against a fleet-footed Villa side.

Football’s one and only Honey Monster Richard Dunne opened the scoring for the Villans just after the half-hour mark, as the Gunners once again failed to deal with a set-piece, leaving the Irishman to head home from a corner. Darren Bent then doubled the score on half-time, netting superbly from the narrowest of angles after Lukas Fabianksi had stopped his first effort.

Whether or not Wenger produced a hairdryer moment in the Arsenal dressing room remains to be seen, but on the re-start the Gunners were a different side, cutting through the Villa defence again and again. Robin Van Persie netted the first of two spot-kicks for the Gunners on 54 minutes, after Dunne fouled Aaron Ramsey, before scoring his second penalty of the game just seven minutes later, this time after a rampaging Laurent Koscielny was felled by Bent. Those two RVP penalties sandwiched a rather fortunate Theo Walcott goal, with the ball coming back off Shay Given before rebounding off the winger’s face and back into the Villa goal. Although to be fair, Walcott had created the initial chance himself superbly.

Oddly, after ripping Villa to shreds in the first half of the second period, Arsenal then dropped deep and allowed the visitors to once again threaten Fabianski’s goal. Indeed, Stiliyan Petrov and the rather disapppointing Stephen Ireland had decent chances to level the scores again. However, ultimately, Wenger would find himself on the receiving end of some cheers rather than jeers, as the Gunners battled through to the fifth round of the Cup.

Photos…

Highlights to follow…

Photos: PA

Posted in Arsenal, Aston Villa, FA Cup, Photos, Videos

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3 Comments

  1. Tom says:

    Anyone else notice how Thierry Henry just hasn’t got it anymore? Good goal against Leeds a couple of weeks ago, but without his pace he isn’t particularly threatening. His touch doesn’t seem to be as good anymore either, which is odd as thats what you’d expect him to retain. Great player, but if you can’t adapt when the pace goes then time really takes it’s toll. Positive note – oxlade looks great. He’s already putting Theo to shame. Guranteed euro place.

  2. Das Was says:

    I luv U guyz!

  3. Redskywalker says:

    How about a GIF/video of the Villa fans refusing to throw the ball back and proceeding to tossing the ball around after it had gone out? Juvenile, I know, but it still made me laugh.

Leave a Reply to Redskywalker