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| Arsene Wenger (AFP) |
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| Blackburn Rovers' Martin Olsson, right, is tackled by Arsenal's Francis Coquelin in the FA Cup fifth round. |
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| Colin Kazim-Richards's late goal stunned Arsenal as Blackburn Rovers reached the FA Cup quarter-finals. |
FA Cup
| Arsenal 0 | |
|---|---|
| Blackburn Rovers 1 |
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Arsenal dominated with Gervinho failing to hit the target
from a good position and Jake Kean making several key saves.
Tomas Rosicky hit the bar after the break but the
Championship side scored when Kazim-Richards followed in on Martin Olsson's
shot.
Theo Walcott was denied late in the game as Arsenal's hopes
of ending their eight-year trophy drought were dented.
The Gunners could not find a way through Blackburn's
defence as Michael Appleton's team defended for their lives at the end of the
game. Mikel Arteta was another Arsenal player who shot off-target.
It means Arsene Wenger's team have only the Champions League
left if they are to win silverware this season, having already been knocked out
of the Capital One Cup by League Two side Bradford in December.
Appleton has already lost in
the FA Cup this season, when in charge of Portsmouth,
and was manager at Blackpool in the third
round when they drew with Fulham before the 37-year-old left the club.
But he has overseen a transformation at Ewood Park
during his short time at Rovers, who were relegated from the Premier League
last season. This victory extended his side's unbeaten run to six games after
suffering defeat by Charlton in his first match in charge on 19 January.
Blackburn are yet to concede in the FA Cup this season and
have now reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007 and sit six
points off the play-off places in the Championship.
Having made seven changes to the side which defeated Sunderland 1-0 last weekend, it was clear Wenger had one
eye on Tuesday's Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
But the Frenchman may live to regret waiting until 70
minutes had passed before bringing on substitutes Walcott, Jack Wilshere and
Santi Cazorla as his side chased the game at 0-0.
Gervinho returned from an impressive Africa Cup of Nations
tournament with the Ivory Coast
to start his first Arsenal game since that penalty shoot-out loss to Bradford on 11 December.
Unfortunately, his biggest contribution in a first half
dominated by the Gunners was to drag his shot wide when he was put through by
Rosicky after 41 minutes.
For all their possession in an opening period where Arsenal
had 12 corners, Wenger's team did not forge many openings. And when they did,
the impressive Blackburn goalkeeper Kean saved
headers from Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen, who returned to the side after
injury.
Kean also stopped Olivier Giroud's effort after the break
with Jason Lowe's header Blackburn's best
effort up until the hour mark.
Rovers brought on former Gunner David Bentley to try and
make an impression, but it seemed to rouse the home supporters before Rosicky
smacked a long-range shot against the bar.
That was his last meaningful action as Wenger brought on his
trio of substitutes to try and avoid a replay in an already-congested month.
But Blackburn went ahead
two minutes later. Wojciech Szczesny could only palm Olsson's shot away and
Kazim-Richards bundled the ball home.
It was a stunning blow by the Rovers striker, a boyhood
Arsenal fan.
Walcott injected some much needed urgency into the Gunners'
play and his header from Wilshere's cross could not breach the Blackburn
rearguard as Appleton's
side held on for a famous victory.
Ref: Dean
Att: 60,070
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