Arsenal Vs Portsmouth | EPL

Arsene Wenger reflected on a job well done after Arsenal saw off determined Coca-Cola Championship side Plymouth 3-1 at Emirates Stadium to book a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Robin van Persie, named captain today, struck at the start and the end of the second half to secure safe passage into the fourth round raw after Argyle captain Karl Duguid had grabbed a lifeline for the west country side after David Gray's own-goal had given the Gunners a two goal cushion.

Wenger praised his players, saying: "We did the job in a serious way and had we not been focused and completely up for it, we would not have gone through today."

He added: "I give credit to my team for doing the job seriously, and also to Plymouth who had a great game as well.

"I was surprised how well they were organised and how strong they were in every challenge. They did not die physically and were always dangerous on set plays.

"The gap between the Championship and the Premiership has been reduced and looking at the FA Cup results today, you could see that."

Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock felt his team deserved a lot of credit.

He said: "I am very pleased with the team's overall performance, but gutted to have given away those two goals just after half-time when I had warned the players what to expect.

"That really kicked us in the teeth, but we dug deep to get out a goal and if someone had told me that just seven minutes from the end we would be chasing the game against Arsenal, a world-class team, I would have bitten their hand off.

"The fans were fantastic, and I am glad we got a goal for them to celebrate, and hopefully they will go home appreciating the boys gave all they had."

Van-tasy football from Gunners skipper Persie

AS New Year’s Honours go, it was one of the more unlikely ones — an armband for Robin van Persie.
One of the oldest players at The Emirates . . . who behaves like one of the youngest.
Edam cheese matures quicker than the Holland striker. We keep hearing it. He’s grown up. He’s taking on more responsibility.

Outrageous

And then he shoves Stoke’s keeper to the ground because, essentially, he has stuck his tongue out at him. Oh, and because Arsenal are getting beaten. Outrageous talent, outrageous temperament. But maybe boss Arsene Wenger has found the key to unlocking the sense of duty lurking deep in Van Persie’s character. In the absence of Cesc Fabregas and Manuel Almunia, Van Persie made his first start as captain of Arsenal. And leadership suited him. He led with two goals that put Plymouth in their place and he led with a discipline that has been an infrequent friend in the past.

Treatment

No reaction to some fairly tough treatment, no bottom-lip posturing after another Nicklas Bendtner-Emmanuel Eboue cock-up. He even indulged in a spot of cheerleading. “Not many people would have believed you if you said he could be a captain after he arrived here,” said Wenger. “But he has developed as a person. He is always interested in team affairs and team problems. He can be a big example here.” Wenger also claimed the gap between the Premier League and the Championship has narrowed. Yep. It’s shrunk from a chasm to a gulf. Outlandish workrate bridged it for much of this game. Romain Larrieu spent 10 months doing national service alongside Gallas in France. Well, at least one of them is officer material.

Landslide

The Plymouth keeper produced a medal-pinning performance but what really prevented an Arsenal landslide was a lack of confidence. Bendtner barely put a lime boot right all afternoon. Green footwear, yellow performance. Another predictable target was Eboue, who had thanked Arsenal fans for the Christmas cards he had received. Both of them. The next time he opens his post, he might want to call Scotland Yard first. It was one of his handsome collections of mistakes that almost allowed Paul Gallagher to coax a lob over Lukasz Fabianski. But mainly, Plymouth’s priority was protection. And they formed a fairly effective shield. Which is why it was a surprise when Van Persie was allowed unchaperoned heading practice from Samir Nasri’s corner early in the second half.

Diverted

And equally startling when the same player was allowed to make a routine turn in the penalty area and fire over a cross that appeared to be diverted into his own net by David Gray — a Manchester United player scoring for Arsenal on his Plymouth debut. Amends were swiftly made when Gray collected a poor clearance and sent over a smashing pass for Karl Duguid to score. Plymouth hopes stayed alive until Van Persie insulted a fingertip attempt to stop him by Larrieu with a crushing finish. “I was pleased with my players,” said Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock. “If you’d said we would still be in with a chance with 10 minutes to go, I’d have taken that.”