Preamble: Hello there and welcome to day two of guardian.co.uk's FA Cup fourth round coverage. I don't want to come over all Richard Keys but this game has the potential to be a. exciting and b. an upset. Cardiff are unbeaten in 10 matches (seven at home) while Arsenal are putting out a kind of res-first team, Wenger unable to decide if he cares about the Cup or not. We do though, of course, so stick around.
The teams:
Cardiff: Enckelman, McNaughton, Gyepes, Roger Johnson, Kennedy,
Rae, Parry, Ledley, Burke, Bothroyd, McCormack. Subs: Heaton,
Capaldi, Purse, Eddie Johnson, McPhail, Comminges, Blake.
Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Gibbs, Nasri,
Ramsey, Song Billong, Eboue, Van Persie, Bendtner. Subs:
Almunia, Diaby, Gallas, Vela, Denilson, Wilshere, Adebayor.
Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)
Goodbye to Ninian Park? This is Cardiff's last season at Ninian Park before they move across the road to a bigger and (presumably) more comfortable premises. So, there is every chance that this will be the last ever FA Cup game and (sniffle) minute-by-minute at the historic ground. As is the way on a quiet Sunday afternoon I will happily field your anecdotes and trivia about the ground throughout the next 90 minutes. I'll start you off with the news that Pope John Paul II held a rally there during his visit to the United Kingdom in 1982. Yes, I have have access to wikipedia.
My prediction: Cardiff 1-2 Arsenal.
And we're away with the emails: "Was it at Ninian Park that Brian Flynn scored one of the best goals ever televised? I think it was against England in the Home Internationals of about 1980. It was a rat-a-tat-tat passing move passed dumbstruck defenders. It appears not to be on youtube, alas," writes Gary Naylor, of course. A pat on the back for anyone that can hunt it down.
It's all kicked off Cardiff, get the game underway shooting from left to right in traditional blue, while Arsenal are sporting the classic '89 yellow and black.
2 min Fabianski has a fair kick on him, Bendtner flicking on a clearance to little effect. That was very un-Arsenal, apart from the lack of final product.
4 min Van Persie finds some space in front of the Cardiff defence and works the ball wide to Nasri, who dawdles and waits until McNaughton can get comfortably in position to block his cross. Bothroyd then breaks down the left and earns a corner, but Fabianski collects it well.
5 min Straight from the corner Arsenal break and Van Persie fails to create anything on the right, letting the ball run over the line for a goal-kick. It's been quite an open start to the game.
7 min Ramsey is getting booed, for moving to a club with Champions League football and a reputation for producing the best young players in the world presumably. A long ball over the top and Chris Burke breaks clear of the Arsenal defence, he cuts back inside to shoot and this gives Gibbs a chance to get back and block.
10 min It's very congested in the middle third and Arsenal are so far struggling to get their passing game together. Ledley gets some space on the left and picks out McCormack unmarked in the centre but he glances his header wide, that was a better chance than he realised.
11 min Bothroyd tries his luck from 30 yards or so but his shot whistles over the bar. This is a good game, not if your job is to describe every incident for a website though.
14 min Ledley scuffs a shot from the edge of the box as Cardiff press further. Then a long hopeful ball from the Cardiff backline is left by Sagna and Toure, McCormack hits it first time and it bounces just wide of the righthand post.
16 min Ramsey has managed to silence most of the boos by being useless so far, it's difficult to boo a man who keeps giving possession back to your team.
18 min It's still all Cardiff. Parry exchanges passes down the left hand side and crosses it to Ledley, who really should do better than levering it over the bar. Then Parry creates a chance for himself but again the ball finishes in the stand. Cardiff need to take a chance soon. "Did anyone really expect Arsenal to turn up and play today, this is exactly the kind of game they have been losing for years," writes Andrew Gibbs, failing to add "they don't like it up 'em".
21 min Should have been 1-0 to Arsenal. Van Persie sets Nasri free on the left of the Cardiff box, one-on-one with Enckelman. He takes an age to settle himself and pick his spot, which in the end turns out to be straight at the keeper.
25 min Arsenal are starting to settle now, Van Persie is looking dangerous pulling off the Cardiff defence to find space. The only real result of all their passing is a scuffed shot wide of the goal from Song though.
27 min Ramsey showboats, undoing all the good work he has done so far with the Cardiff fans and running the ball out of play for a goal-kick.
29 min "Did anyone else notice that Nasri's chance was almost an identical replica of the second goal at Hull?" asks Chris Murray. "Don't know why he didn't just do the same again." It's that kind of cool headed logic that Arsene Wenger needs more over in his continental coaching set-up.
31 min Van Persie whips in a corner from the right but it's punched clear by Enckelman and ends with one of those free-kicks that are given to the defensive team for no real reason.
34 min Van Persie lays the ball off to Gibbs, who has time to hooks the ball just right of the Cardiff goal, it's all got a bit scrappy here. "Coming over Richard Keys (preamble) and Robin van Persie pulling off the Cardiff defence (25 min)? I don't expect this sort of smut from the Guardian," writes Matt Byron, before taking up his pen to write to Points of View about a risque comment in today's re-run of Allo Allo.
36 min Parry is just having a talking to from the Cardiff physio after taking a bump to the head, but he should be fine.
38 min Arsenal won't be too disappointed with this so far, after the initial pressure from Cardiff they are looking pretty comfortable now, and you feel a goal may well be around the corner. Bendtner manages to hoik the ball into the box from the right and it is squared back to Van Persie who shoots straight at Enckelman.
41 min All Cardiff seem to be able to do with the ball is clear it to Song, who is doing an excellent job of dictating the game from midfield for Arsenal. Meanwhile, Eboue breaks into the box and goes to ground quite easily under pressure from Johnson. Whether it is from observation or reputation Martin Atkinson decides that is more than enough for a booking.
43 min Eboue feeds Van Persie on the edge of the box, he is sandwiched by defenders and the ball breaks back to Eboue, clear on goal. Sadly for him his first touch is to the anvil end of the heaviness spectrum and Enckelman can just collect the ball.
Peep peeeep! Kennedy breaks clear on the Arsenal left and chips the ball across the face of goal. It bobbles and bounces but no one can force a shot on goal. Suddenly Arsenal break and, three-on-two, Van Persie releases Bendtner on the left of the area, but he over-runs the ball and can only force a corner, which is headed over. And with that Cardiff breath again and Martin Atkinson blows for half-time. Phew.
That was an enjoyable first-half, and either team could be ahead. Cardiff need to get themselves together though, towards the end of the half it seemed like it was just a matter of time for Arsenal. We'll see.
Ninian Park moments: "Ninian Park will definitely have a place in the book of Owner and Supporter Moments of Insanity," writes George Templeton. "Sam Hammam walking around the ground and whipping the home fans into a frenzy and then the home fans trying to corner Leeds United fans after a 3-1 Cardiff victory over the then Premier League powers."
Setanta are showing a very strange advert with a cartoon Des Lynam at various sporting events. At one point he seems to get hit in the misters by a football, I'm not sure if this makes me more or less likely to subscribe. Anyway, back to the football.
And we're away again See subject.
47 min Nasri with a corner from the right for Arsenal but it loops straight onto a Cardiff head. Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger looks on in a puffer jacket, always the style icon.
48 min Van persie moves back into midfield to collect the ball, floats past a couple of half-hearted tackles and then, disappointingly, pokes the ball into the crowd.
50 min Boothroyd, checks back onto his left foot and crosses for Parry to head straight at Fabianski. Cardiff have got a lot of joy in the air today, as predicted.
52 min "I've just spoken to someone at the ground who's got some literature thats been passed around, pre game like. It cites that Ninian Park is as intimidating as a Galataseray match," writes Amir Adhamy (NB he added his own 'like'). It does sound quite loud from the coverage, but it's not Hell.
54 min Van Persie loiters over a free-kick 30 yards or so out with a look of anger. He then whips it around the wall but just wide of the post. Enckelman was motionless throughout.
56 min First substitution of the day in this quite tepid second half looks like it will be Diarby, who is currently topless in the dugout having a chat with Arsene Wenger.
58 min McCormack tries to split the defence with a ball between the defenders but Fabianski runs out to clear. At the other end Kennedy almost puts the ball in his own net when trying to control a cross but Enckleman comes to his rescue.
59 min The player Diarby replaces ... Aaron Ramsey. Not been his day. Meanwhile, McCormack has a strike from distance that Fabianski rather dramitically tips wide.
61 min "I have just had a vision (and yes, I was on the drink last night) - Arsenal to scrape a victory but (what looks like) a bad injury to a key member of the playing staff late in the game (RVP?) resulting in Wenger saying it ultimately feels like a loss," writes Kevin Dardis spookily, before adding with somewhat less gravitas: "I am going to go back to bed now."
63 min Enckelman does well to smother a shot from Van Persie, who has done pretty well to get his shot away in a crowded penalty area.
65 min Arsene Wenger means business: here comes Adebayeor, I think Bendtner's time might be up.
66 min And I'm wrong, it's Eboue who is coming off. He's none too pleased.
67 min Enckelman is playing surprisingly well, considering this game is on TV, blocking a shot from Van Persie after the ball drops to him in the six-yard box from a route one ball over the top.
69 min "That reminds me: I had a hazy dream last night that Adebayor scored an own goal in the 90th minute, and Cardiff won. I'm terrified now he's on," writes Amir Adhamy. Well, at the moment Amir, there is only one team I can see scoring, though not from a Van Persie corner that loops over everyone like that.
71 min Welcome the mid-second half lull.
72 min Would Cardiff settle for a replay? Surely they don't want the extra fixture, but I can't see them getting much more than that, they look exhausted.
74 min Bendtner tries to battle his way through the Cardiff defence but gets outnumbered by the amassed blue shirts. Then, a quite hillarious miss. Van Persie gets to the byline and chips the ball across the area which flicks off the head of a Cardiff defender and sits up 10 yards out for Adebayeor to volley home. Sadly for him, he instead contrives to shin it into the ground directly in front of him.
77 min Enckelman palms aside a shot from 25 yards or so from Nasri, it is all one way now.
79 min Bendtner really doesn't have 'it', does he? Another Arsenal move breaks down as he overhits a pass. Meanwhile, Dave Jones replaces Burke with Tony Capaldi.
81 min Sagna delivers a cross over Enckelman's goal with many an attacker waiting. An appeal: "I went to Highbury in 1979 as a 5-year-old to watch Arsenal vs Cardiff City FA Cup match," writes Shammi Huda. "I think it was a draw, but do remember the very nice man next to us gave us hot tomato soup from a thermos...was any other mbm reader at that match?"
83 min For all Arsenal's pressure, Adebayeor has had the only real chance that you could say came with some guilt attached. Cardiff are holding firm here.
85 min Bendtner breaks into the Cardiff box but an exchange of passes with Van Persie doesn't quite fall for him.
87 min Rae is brought down by Toure 30 yards out and pretty centrally, a chance for McCormack's Micky Thomas moment? He bends it over the wall and it loops down onto the top of the bar and behind. So close.
88 min Wilshire on for Bendtner.
90 min Kennedy floats a ball into the box from the halfway-line but Arsenal manage to scramble it clear. Johnson manages to slice an unpressured clearance behind for an Arsenal corner but Van Persie heads the corner over the bar. I think we're heading back to the Emirates.
90+1 min Van Persie is harshly booked for pulling out of a tackle, a strange decision that. Eddie Johnson comes on for Bothroyd.
Peep peeep peeeeeeep! That's about that then, Wenger and Jones share a joke while they watch on from the sideline and neither will be too disappointed with the result or the performance of their teams. Ledley then runs the ball into the corner to waste time, which is a poor show from a team that surely came into the game hoping to win it. They probably just about deserved their draw though.
The replay will be a week on Tuesday or Wednesday and we can all look forward to that. Just like we can look forward to Tom Bryant's minute-by-minute coverage of Liverpool v Everton, which starts in about 15 minutes or so. Thank you for all your emails, sorry for the ones I couldn't use. Bye.
