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| Soccer Football – FA Cup – Third Round – Arsenal v Leeds United – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – January 6, 2020 Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi in action with Leeds United’s Stuart Dallas Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs |
Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson scored early in the second half to secure a 1-0 win over battling Championship leaders Leeds United in the FA Cup third round at The Emirates on Monday.
Nelson put a near full-strength home side ahead in the 55th minute, scrappily side-footing the ball into the net after the Leeds defence was caught out by an Alexandre Lacazette cross.
Arsenal, who have won the world’s oldest cup competition a record 13 times — but lost to Leeds in the 1972 final — visit fellow Premier League side Bournemouth in the fourth round.
Leeds had taken the game to Arsenal straight from the whistle, pushing forward and blasting 11 shots on goal to the hosts’ one in the first 25 minutes alone.
They dominated possession and striker Patrick Bamford was unlucky not to score after 15 minutes when he collected the ball from Jack Harrison but curled his close-range shot onto the bar.
Arsenal by contrast looked a shadow of the side who beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Premier League on New Year’s Day.
But Mikel Arteta’s side looked a different team in the second half, with Lacazette whipping an early free-kick off the bar and David Luiz going close before Nelson struck.
“Leeds are a great team and they pressed us, we didn’t expect it. We got the goal in the end and that is the most important thing,” said Nelson.
“This will give us confidence to go forward.”
Lacazette said Arteta gave the players a firm talking to at halftime, although the manager made it sound less daunting.
“Now I’m really pleased but we saw two different teams from the first to second half. I tried to tell them exactly what they were going to face and after 32 minutes we’d won one duel,” he said.
“We changed our attitude, desire and organisation at halftime and then we were completely different. It was good for my players to learn and to suffer on the pitch.”
Both sides fielded second-string keepers — with Emiliano Martinez coming in for Arsenal and Illan Meslier for Leeds — and the home side were missing striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang due to illness, but otherwise they fielded strong lineups.
Liverpool to visit Bristol City or Shrewsbury in FA Cup fourth round
Premier League leaders Liverpool, who fielded a virtual youth side and still beat Everton in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, will visit either Championship side Bristol City or League One Shrewsbury Town in the fourth round following Monday’s draw.
Bristol City, who drew 1-1 at home to Shrewsbury on Saturday, pulled off one of the great FA Cup shocks last time they faced Liverpool, winning a third-round replay 1-0 at Anfield in 1994 as a second-tier side, a result that led to the resignation of the Anfield club’s boss Graeme Souness.
Shrewsbury had less luck in their only ever meeting with Liverpool, losing 4-0 at home in the fourth round in 1996. The Merseysiders, currently world and European champions, last won the FA Cup in 2006.
Holders Manchester City host Fulham, who knocked out Premier League Aston Villa on Saturday, while Manchester United or Wolverhampton Wanderers, who drew 0-0 at Molineux on Sunday, will play last year’s runners-up Watford or Tranmere Rovers, who came from 3-0 down to draw their third-round game 3-3.
Arsenal, who have won the world’s oldest cup competition a record 13 times, will be away to Bournemouth after beating Championship leaders Leeds United 1-0 in the last third round tie on Monday.
Burnley v Norwich City is the only other guaranteed all-Premier League match-up among the fourth round fixtures, which will be played between Jan. 24-27.
Championship side Birmingham City have been drawn away at either Bristol Rovers or Coventry City but could play on their own ground if Coventry win the replay between the third-tier sides since the Sky Blues currently share St Andrew’s.
Former West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic will return to his old club with his second-tier West Bromwich Albion side.
Bristol City or Shrewsbury Town v Liverpool
Watford or Tranmere Rovers v Wolverhampton Wanderers or Manchester United
Manchester City v Fulham
Rochdale or Newcastle United v Oxford United
Hull City v Chelsea
Bournemouth v Arsenal
Burnley v Norwich City
Southampton v Middlesbrough or Tottenham Hotspur
Northampton Town v Derby County
Brentford v Leicester City
Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield Wednesday
Portsmouth v Barnsley
Bristol Rovers or Coventry City v Birmingham City
West Ham United v West Bromwich Albion
Reading or Blackpool v Cardiff City or Carlisle United
