Arsenal end Lincoln’s dream run
London, March. 12: Arsenal ended Lincoln City’s historic FA Cup run and eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger with a 5-0 victory over the valiant non-league side in Saturday’s quarter-finals.
After Tuesday’s humiliating Champions League exit against Bayern Munich, Wenger had endured calls for his resignation and the Gunners boss must have breathed a sigh of relief as Arsenal avoided even greater ignominy.
A contest that should have been a mismatch given the supposed gulf in class between fifth-tier Lincoln and their illustrious opponents was actually a tense affair until firsthalf stoppage time when Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead.
But even after goals from Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and a Luke Waterfall own goal, the day belonged to the fifth-tier leaders, for whom the competition has generated a £1.6 million ($1.9m) cash windfall.
For a club whose record signings, Dean Walling and Tony Battersby, each cost £75,000 in 1997 and 1978, respectively, that is quite a sum.
The 9,000 travelling Lincoln supporters certainly brought their voices and generated more noise than the Emirates Stadium has heard during many Premier League games this season.
Almost 10 minutes had elapsed before Arsenal created an opening. Hector Bellerin slid the ball along the ground from the right-hand side but Ramsey swept his shot just wide of the post.
Four minutes later Walcott connected sweetly with a volley only for Lincoln keeper Paul Farman to plunge to his left to palm the ball on to the same upright.
Arsenal were forced into a change after 26 minutes, although if the non-league side were glad to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain go, the sight of German World Cup-winner Mesut Ozil coming on to replace him was less welcome.
Lincoln’s compactness in defence was limiting Arsenal to very few chances.
And in contrast to Lincoln’s collective discipline, inspired by the organisational skill of their impressive young manager Danny Cowley, it was the Arsenal players who were guilty of impetuosity in the tackle, with both Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny booked for lunging challenges.
Nathan Arnold, who scored the winning goal against Ipswich Town in the third-round replay, came closest to a goal for the visitors as the halfhour approached.
Cutting inside Kieran Gibbs, he forced Petr Cech to fling himself to his right for a fine save.
Ramsey sent a stabbed effort over the bar as halftime approached, but just as it seemed that Lincoln would deservedly reach the interval on level terms, the Premier League side struck.
Arsenal re-emerged with a sense of urgency that had been largely absent in the first half. An injury to Harry Kane marred Tottenham Hotspur’s party as they marked their last FA Cup tie at their White Hart Lane home with a 6-0 thrashing of third-tier London rivals Millwall to book their place in a loaded semi-final line-up on Sunday.
England international Kane, the Premier League’s joint top scorer, had to hobble off after falling awkwardly and suffering an ankle injury in a sixth minute challenge during their sixth round tie.
Yet his absence was not missed on the day as Son Heung-min hammered a brilliant hat-trick and Kane’s replacement Christian Eriksen also scored a beauty before Dele Alli and substitute Vincent Janssen got in on the act. It all made for an emotional occasion at Spurs’ storied 118-yearold ground which they will leave at the end of the season.