By Boris Mellor
January 9 2006

Arsenals back four had an average age of 21 against Cardiff, however three of them were 20 and under. The team as a whole averaged 24.7. Of course Wenger would not play so many youngsters in back four in the Premiership, but it shows where the future lies.

Arsenal continue a gruelling schedule over the next few weeks, following hard on the crowded Xmas list. No disrespect to the Cup or Cardiff, but players had to be rested, and the players that Wenger brings in are young.

 For the most part the young back four kept control of their area. There were only two slip ups of note, the first after 40 seconds when Cardiff were presented with an open goal, the second minutes from the end with a tangle over a corner, and this time they conceded. Ignoring the hype, Cardiff never looked likely in between.

After the first minute Cardiff never really effectively threatened again in the first half. Most of the time their players stood off bemused by the wonderful play of Bergkamp, van Persie and Reyes. The three of them linked up brilliantly and ripped the Cardiff defence to shreds. Between them they provided the ammo for Bob. Good to see him on the scoring sheet, but all he had to do was pull the trigger.

At 2-0 down Cardiff looked really out of it, but did manage to stop Arsenal from getting a third, partly by good defending, and partly because Arsenal now had their minds on Tuesdays cup game. Even so Arsenal wasted a hatful of chances. But for whole periods of the second half Cardiff were penned in their own half. Arsenal fans now sang we’ve been to Cardiff more than you, in expectation of another visit to the final (wherever that will be). But Cardiff had other ideas and on 86 minutes scored from a corner.

Was it squeaky bum time? It didn’t feel like that to me, or the people around me. The team refocused itself, kept Cardiff at bay, and made a few more chances. The score was not a true reflection of how, overall, easy it had been.

(Spot the bad pun. There are at least two)