Sheffield Utd vs Arsenal 17/01/96 FA Cup 3rd round

Sheffield Utd (0) 1 - 0 (0) Arsenal

FA Cup 3rd round

Bramall Lane, 17th January 1996

First leg 06/01/96 : Arsenal 1 Sheff Utd 1

Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Keown, McGowan, Jensen, Platt, 
         Helder, Merson, Bergkamp, Wright
         Subs: Linighan (Dixon 60), Clarke (Jensen 84), Dickov 

Sheff Utd: Kelly, Short, Nilsen, Patterson, Vonk, Tuttle, White, 
           Cowans, Veart, Ward, Whitehouse
           Subs: Hodges (Whitehouse 84), Heath, Tracey

Result  : Sheffield United      (0) 1    Arsenal               (0) 0
Scorers:  Veart 68                      

Bookings: McGowan
                                     
Att     : 22225
Referee : P Durkin (Portland)

A desperately disappointing Arsenal performance last night in a match which resulted in a thoroughly deserved Sheffield United win. Arsenal were pretty much outplayed and outfought in every facet of the game. A weakened defence lacking Bould and Winterburn, in the 2nd half also lost Dixon, but that doesn't excuse the failings also present in midfield and attack.

Kickoff was delayed by 15 minutes and that appeared to set the general tone for Arsenal, as they were usually 2nd to most balls. A couple of early attacks with Wright looking lively suggested that the Gunners might get something out of the match, but that sadly proved an illusion, and it wasn't long before the Blades proved they were sharper. White broke clear down the right and crossed long to the far post where Dixon slipped to leave Whitehouse clear to fling himself at the ball. He connected with a diving header, but Seaman dived full length to his left to turn the ball round the post.

For the next 20 minutes or so, it was all Sheffield United as they attacked in waves, mostly down the right where they frequently exposed McGowan's inexperience and discomfort on his left side. A cross by Ward from there gave Veart a vollied chance, but Keown did well to get in a block and deflect the shot for a corner. Soon afterwards another right wing attack gave White the best chance of the half. Short got to the byline and pulled back into the middle. At full stretch Keown attempted to clear, but the ball deflected straight to White about 15 yards out. He hit a terrific shot, but it cannoned against the crossbar and bounced down in front of the line and out to be cleared.

Eventually Arsenal weathered the storm and began to make some chances in attack. After a Wright break down the left had been stopped by Short, Cowans gave the ball back to Wright and he released Helder for a run in on goal. However, his finishing was back to normal and he screwed his shot from an angle well wide of the far post. Soon afterwards Bergkamp had a similar chance as Helder nodded the ball through to him down the left. As a defender came across to cover he checked back onto his right foot and tried to curl a shot inside the far post, but only succeeded in hitting it straight at the keeper.

Bergkamp did manufacture Arsenal's best chance of the half though. Merson got to the byline on the right and pulled back a cross to the near post. Bergkamp got there first and cleverly knocked the ball back to Dixon who was following up, but from just inside the corner of the area his shot whistled just wide of the opposite top corner. Helder had one long run where he threatened to get free, but in the end took it too far. The only other notable effort I can recall came when Merson took a quick throw to allow Dixon to curl in an early cross which Platt met with a header, but mistimed it slightly and the ball went tamely into Kelly's midriff.

The hope was that halftime would allow Rioch to knock a few heads together and get Arsenal going, but there really wasn't a noticeable improvement early on. Short and Ward were still giving McGowan problems down the right, though I can't remember much in the way of clear cut chances, as Keown and Adams did a reasonable job of covering.

At the other end Arsenal did occasionally threaten, and on one break down the left Helder did at last produce a reasonable cross which found Wrighty in space in the area. However, he had to volley the ball at waist height and didn't quite catch it properly with his left foot and hit it straight at Kelly.

Sheffield United were beginning to run out of steam, and the match looked to be heading for extra time when Dixon went off with an injury. He was replaced by Linighan in a straight swap at right back. This obviously spelled trouble and so it was to prove in the 68th minute. A long ball down the left gave Whitehouse a chance to test Linighan, and he easily turned him to get to the byline and cross to the near post. There Veart had pulled off Keown to give himself a simple header from the edge of the 6-yd box. Seaman had no chance.

United's enthusiasm was renewed and soon afterwards White broke free down the middle and forced Seaman into a sharp save with a shot from 20 yards. This did eventually induce Arsenal into producing some sort of concerted pressure. Bergkamp broke from midfield and hit a wicked shot from 25 yards which Kelly dived full length to turn away for a corner and later broke down the right to curl in a good near post cross which Wright, under pressure, headed wide. Merson had a couple of promising runs in from the right but then spoiled them by wasting the final ball and Platt forced Kelly into a save with a header from Linighan's cross.

With less than five minutes to go, it briefly looked as though Arsenal might actually snatch an undeserved equaliser. Wright cut in from the right and hit a shot from the edge of the area which took a slight deflection and hit the outside of the post with Kelly beaten. From Helder's corner Platt then had a clear opportunity at the near post, but his header flew just over the angle.

However, as the game moved into injury time and with Arsenal desperately throwing everybody forward, United almost snatched another goal on the break. The move looked to have broken down though, and McGowan should have cleared upfield for one last desperate assault. However, he tried to play the ball short to Helder on the touchline, Ward nipped in front of the Dutchman and raced clear to cross into the middle where Veart was completely unmarked in the 6 yard box. 2-0, or so everybody thought, but Seaman somehow threw himself across to get an arm to the Australian's shot and the ball bounced under him and up over the crossbar. A quite astonishing save.

The resulting corner was cleared and ref then blew for time to complete the Arsenal fan's misery. Rioch pinpointed the main problem in his post match interviews. For the most part Arsenal just weren't sufficiently up for it. Bergkamp some flashes, but most of the time looked uninterested and anonymous, and Helder never really looked like producing much either. McGowan's defensive inexperience was glaringly obvious, but he wasn't helped by the fact that any help Helder gave him was about as much use as a condom made of wet tissue paper.

I'd say the greatest failing last night was in midfield though. Platt and Jensen just never got to grips with Cowans and Patterson, were barely seen in attack and didn't often offer much cover in defence. Merson looked quite good at times when he had possession, but his final pass was usually poor. The only person who looked likely to produce anything in attack was Wrighty.

Keown and Adams did reasonably enough in the middle of defence, though to me Adams hasn't quite been his usual self in recent weeks. I also thought it was a tactical blunder not to move Keown to right back when Dixon went off.

Ah well, I suppose it was only to be expected. Third year in a row we've lost to a 1st division team in a replay. Not sure what Dixon's injury is, but on Saturday we could see a defence shorn of Adams, Keown, Bould and Dixon. After McGowan's performance last night Winterburn may get his place back anyway, but if Dixon is out then McGowan could get his chance at right back, where I think he would be considerably better.

report by Derek Brownjohn

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