Arsenal scored three second half goals to move past Ipswich Town and into the Carling Cup Final.
Ipswich held out for an hour with a brave defensive effort, before Nicklas Bendtner opened the scoring with an excellent strike in the 61st minute. Laurent Koscielny then gave Arsenal a 2-1 aggregate lead with a headed goal from an Andrey Arshavin corner.
Arshavin created the game sealing goal in the 77th minute when he played in Cesc Fabregas after good work on the edge of the area, and the Spanish midfielder made it 3-0 on the night with a neat finish.
Ipswich arrived at the Emirates stadium defending a 1-0 lead from the first leg, and defended well to keep Arsenal out in the first half. The Tractor Boys were comfortable for the opening 15 minutes, but needed goalkeeper Matron Fulop to save well from Fabregas as the half went on.
Van Persie went even closer when he headed a Bendtner cross against the crossbar in the 23rd minute. Jack Wilshere then opened up the Ipswich defense with a superb pass, but Fabregas fired wide of the target and the teams went in 0-0 at half-time.
Arsenal continued to dominate possession after the break, and their probing paid off just after the hour mark when Bendtner fired the Gunners into a 1-0 lead and leveled the scores on aggregate. Bendtner collected another good pass from Wilshere, and cut inside a defender before burying a fine shot past Fulop.
With Ipswich rattled the Gunners doubled their lead three minutes later when Koscielny got to an Arshavin corner first and buried a header past Fulop.
Ipswich manager Paul Jewell threw on striker Jason Scotland to try and get Ipswich back in the game, but Arsenal continued to have the better of the play and sealed the game with a third goal in the 77th minute.
Fabregas strode clear after being released by Arshavin and make it 3-0 with a good finish beyond Fulop.
Arsenal will now progress to the Carling Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, and have a big chance to win their first major trophy in five years.
SCORING SUMMARY
ARS – Bendtner (Wilshere) 61’
ARS – Koscielny (Arshavin) 64’
ARS – Fabregas (Arshavin) 77’
LINEUPS
ARS – Szczesny, Sagna (Eboue 18), Koscielny, Djorou, Clichy, Fabregas, Denilson, Wilshere, Arshavin (Walcott 84), Van Persie (Nasri 84), Bendtner.
IPS – Fulop, McAuley, Delaney, O’Dea, Leadbitter, Edwards, Norris, Healy (O’Connor 74), Kennedy, Wickham, Priskin (Scotland 63).
Arshavin created the game sealing goal in the 77th minute when he played in Cesc Fabregas after good work on the edge of the area, and the Spanish midfielder made it 3-0 on the night with a neat finish.
Ipswich arrived at the Emirates stadium defending a 1-0 lead from the first leg, and defended well to keep Arsenal out in the first half. The Tractor Boys were comfortable for the opening 15 minutes, but needed goalkeeper Matron Fulop to save well from Fabregas as the half went on.
Van Persie went even closer when he headed a Bendtner cross against the crossbar in the 23rd minute. Jack Wilshere then opened up the Ipswich defense with a superb pass, but Fabregas fired wide of the target and the teams went in 0-0 at half-time.
Arsenal continued to dominate possession after the break, and their probing paid off just after the hour mark when Bendtner fired the Gunners into a 1-0 lead and leveled the scores on aggregate. Bendtner collected another good pass from Wilshere, and cut inside a defender before burying a fine shot past Fulop.
With Ipswich rattled the Gunners doubled their lead three minutes later when Koscielny got to an Arshavin corner first and buried a header past Fulop.
Ipswich manager Paul Jewell threw on striker Jason Scotland to try and get Ipswich back in the game, but Arsenal continued to have the better of the play and sealed the game with a third goal in the 77th minute.
Fabregas strode clear after being released by Arshavin and make it 3-0 with a good finish beyond Fulop.
Arsenal will now progress to the Carling Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, and have a big chance to win their first major trophy in five years.
SCORING SUMMARY
ARS – Bendtner (Wilshere) 61’
ARS – Koscielny (Arshavin) 64’
ARS – Fabregas (Arshavin) 77’
LINEUPS
ARS – Szczesny, Sagna (Eboue 18), Koscielny, Djorou, Clichy, Fabregas, Denilson, Wilshere, Arshavin (Walcott 84), Van Persie (Nasri 84), Bendtner.
IPS – Fulop, McAuley, Delaney, O’Dea, Leadbitter, Edwards, Norris, Healy (O’Connor 74), Kennedy, Wickham, Priskin (Scotland 63).
