Sutton make big guns work
Dream is over – but thanks for memories
IT ENDED, as the great adventure had to end at some point, in painful defeat. But how Sutton scared the mighty Arsenal as they waved goodbye to the FA Cup.
Paul Doswell’s heroic team have lit up the cup this season with their extraordinary exploits. Last night, up against Arsene Wenger’s multi-millionpound team at Gander Green Lane, proved just a step too far.
Goals from Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott saw Wenger’s side through to a quarter-final against another non-league outfit in Lincoln City.
But there never looked to be 105 places between these two teams, on a nervy night for the Premier League aristocrats in deepest Surrey – as Roarie Deacon struck a post for the National League side and several other good chances went begging. In the end though, class told – just. The fairy tale is over.
So far in this amazing run, Doswell’s side had beaten League Two Cheltenham, League One AFC Wimbledon and Leeds, the Championship high fliers.
It had been, if anything, a more impressive overall performance than the legendary 1989 win over First Division Coventry on this ground.
In the next round in 1989, Barrie Williams’ Sutton went to another First Division club in Norwich – and lost 8-0. Doswell’s side went into last night’s match hopeful of a rather kinder result.
This time round though, National League Sutton are some £500,000 richer as a result of three successive sell-outs and television money.
For Wenger, under pressure following the collapse of his team’s title challenge and the seeming end of their Champions League hopes following the 5-1 crushing at Bayern Munich, last night was the ultimate no-win scenario.
Wenger had won the FA Cup six times in his 21 years at Arsenal and had never lost on the road to lower league opposition. But the 3G pitch at Gander Green Lane spelled peril. Wenger’s team had had one training session on their own indoor 3G. Arsenal’s wage bill – £192million – was 480 times the entire Sutton playing budget and the Surrey side were 17th in the National League. But figures mean nothing on nights like last night.
Wenger actually picked a strong side, with Walcott up front and Alexis Sanchez on the bench and seven full internationals in the starting line-up.
The crowd around the Arsenal dugout threatened to swamp it as Wenger appeared to take his seat. If the cup has lost its magic, the good folk of Surrey had not been told. It was chaotic – and marvellous.
Arsenal looked nervy early on on a slippery pitch, as Granit Xhaka was booked. But then a lightning-quick break down the right, as Xhaka fed Lucas, who cut inside his man to drive in a fierce low shot. Walcott
tried a cheeky backheel but failed and the ball sped straight past Sutton goalkeeper Ross Worner into the far corner.
Walcott advanced to drive a shot just over as confidence, at last, began to flow through the Premier League side.
But then from David Ospina’s poor kick, Adam May was presented with a great chance – only to drive wide.
Rob Holding had his own goalkeeper Ospina scrambling with a wayward backpass straight after the restart, and then Bedsente Gomis caused chaos in the Gunners defence with a clever run, his shot only blocked at the last moment.
It was nervy stuff for Arsenal until, ten minutes after halftime, Alex Iwobi found Nacho Monreal breaking down the left and his low cross was turned in by Walcott at the far post. It was the England man’s 100th goal in an Arsenal shirt. The non-League team now faced a mighty task, but Sutton should have scored two minutes later, but skipper Jamie Collins nodded over from six yards.
Sutton had found a new lease of life and when ex-Gunner Deacon – outstanding on the night – turned and shot, his effort cannoned off the bar.
Arsenal hung on, and in the end it was job done. Enough to take the pressure off Arsene? Probably not.