Many happy returns for Eduardo
GettyImages
Eduardo watches his header head goalward.
Scoring Summary
Arsenal
Cardiff City
Eduardo (20)
Nicklas Bendtner (34)
Eduardo (pen 60)
Robin Van Persie (89)
Match Stats
Arsenal
Cardiff City
Shots (on Goal)
19(12)
4(3)
Fouls
14
4
Corner Kicks
3
3
Offsides
0
3
Time of Possession
60%
40%
Yellow Cards
2
0
Red Cards
0
0
Saves
2
11
Match Information
Stadium: Emirates Stadium, England Attendance: 57,237Match Time: 19:45 UKOfficial(s): M Halsey (Referee)
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Teams
Arsenal
Cardiff City
21
Lukasz Fabianski13
Tom Heaton3
Bacary Sagna2
Kevin McNaughton5
Kolo Toure5
Darren Purse10
William Gallas12
Roger Johnson40
Kieran Gibbs21
Mark Kennedy8
Samir Nasri29
Chris Burke15
Denilson4
Gavin Rae17
Alexandre Song Billong16
Joe Ledley12
Carlos Vela11
Paul Parry9
Eduardo8
Jay Bothroyd26
Nicklas Bendtner44
Ross McCormackSubstitutes
1
Manuel AlmuniaIrwin Sak 25
22
Gaël ClichyMiguel Comminges 15
16
Aaron RamseyTony Capaldi 3
19
Jack WilsherePeter Whittingham 7
28
Amaury BischoffRiccardo Scimeca 19
11
Robin Van PersieDarcy Blake 23
Eddie Johnson 9
Substitutions
Robin Van Persie for
Eduardo (67)
Peter Whittingham for
Paul Parry (68)
Aaron Ramsey for
Samir Nasri (67)
Darcy Blake for
Darren Purse (68)
Amaury Bischoff for
Carlos Vela (74)
Riccardo Scimeca for
Gavin Rae (74)
Yellow Cards
William Gallas (50)
Nicklas Bendtner (79)
· Club Squads:
Arsenal Cardiff CityUpdated: February 16, 2009, 9:58 PM UKStriker Eduardo put a year of injury hell behind him to score twice on his Arsenal comeback as they outclassed Cardiff to win their FA Cup fourth-round replay 4-0.
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Bendtner hails EduardoThe Croatia international started and finished a fine move for the opener before slotting home a second-half penalty to score his first goals since February 2 last year.
Nicklas Bendtner and Robin van Persie scored the others, with only some fine saves by on-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Tom Heaton keeping the score short of embarrassing.
Five minutes in, Bendtner missed a wonderful chance after neat interplay down the right between Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna.
Sagna's cross beat every Cardiff defender to find the Dane at the far post only for him to head across goal and wide.
Bendtner had a second fine opportunity a minute later after Carlos Vela's drilled shot was fisted away by Heaton.
Bendtner was first to the rebound but could not steer his shot home.
Arsenal continued to press and William Gallas, still up after a corner, forced Heaton into a smart save near post save as the Gunners began to lay siege on City's goal.
In the 13th minute Eduardo glanced wide from a Bendtner cross then attempted to break the deadlock in the most spectacular fashion, trying to lob Heaton from 45 yards.
His hopeful strike drifted wide but not before forcing the keeper into a hasty retreat.
Vela then sent the Croatian free with a first-time pass into the area although Darren Purse mopped up the danger.
Purse again kept his side in it, sliding full-length to smother Bendtner's shot from six yards.
By now an Arsenal goal seemed a formality, with skipper Kolo Toure joining his team-mates in attack, jinking inside two defenders and drawing a sprawling save from Heaton.
And with 20 minutes gone, Eduardo had his goal.
Eduardo drove forward towards the Cardiff box, laying the ball off to Vela before continuing his run to head a hanging cross into the net.
He almost had a second moments later but Bendtner's powerful centre would not fall for the striker, who allowed Roger Johnson to clear.
The overworked Heaton nearly gifted the hosts a second when he spilled Nasri's swerving 26th-minute shot but the ball mercifully trickled wide of the post.
Cardiff battled to fight back but had neither the quality nor the possession to put their opponents under pressure.
Instead they slipped further behind, Bendtner beating two markers to head home a 32nd-minute corner.
Chris Burke engineered a Cardiff breakaway three minutes before the break with a tidy run down the right, but Arsenal defended comfortably.
Heaton then pulled off two stunning saves, kicking Vela's close-range shot away with an outstretched leg before blocking a point-blank effort from Bendtner who had already hit the post from three yards.
Cardiff looked to be positive as the second period got under way, Jay Bothroyd even pulling off a neat back heel.
Vela continued to catch the eye at the other end of the pitch, though, leaving Johnson dizzy with a weaving run into the Cardiff six-yard box.
To his credit, Johnson recovered to block a shot which would have caused problems at the near post.
Kieran Gibbs, starting at left-back in place of Gael Clichy, surged forward in the 55th minute and his outswinging cross needed a firm clearance by Purse.
Bothroyd finally gave Lukasz Fabianski something to do between the Arsenal posts, drawing a low save with a decent 20-yard effort.
Vela had a penalty shout turned down by referee Mark Halsey after 57 minutes but Eduardo's appeal was upheld three minutes later following a Gavin Rae foul.
Eduardo stepped up himself and slotted home calmly for his second.
Ross McCormack, in an unenviable position fronting the Cardiff attack, hit the wall when a chance, from an inviting free-kick, finally came his way.
Indeed, Fabianski was largely untroubled by Cardiff but did appear to be the target of a missile from their supporters.
Eduardo had one opportunity to secure his fairytale hat-trick denied by the impressive Heaton before making way for former Cardiff player Aaron Ramsey.
Fellow substitute van Persie proceeded to force Heaton into yet another smart save with 11 minutes left, while a third replacement, Amaury Bischoff, also went close.
Van Persie, who also hit the post in injury-time, rolled home from Bendtner's assist to make it four in the 89th minute after Cardiff gifted the Gunners possession in the final third.
Bendtner hails Eduardo
Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner was pleased for Eduardo
Bendtner told Setanta: "It was amazing - all the fans and players have waited for him to come back after the horrific thing that happened and it's really, really good for him to come back with two goals."
Bendtner himself and Robin van Persie were also on target and the Dane continued: "I think we did really well.
"We showed a lot of things out there and it's important to go through, although the rest of the games will be hard.
"I'm happy with one goal and for us to win the game - I try to be a part of the team."
Arsenal will now face Burnley, with a quarter-final match against Hull or Sheffield United awaiting the winners.
The Clarets dumped Arsenal out of this season's Carling Cup and Bendtner added: "What happened last time is not a nice thing - I'm sure there won't be a repeat."
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Monday, February 16
Arsenal
4
Cardiff City
0
Final
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