It's FA Cup time again and some nice winter sun beams down on to the Emirates to welcome Leeds United and their fans. The visitors must be hoping that they put in a better performance than the last time the two teams met in the cup back in the 2003-04 season, which Arsenal won 4-1Photograph: Tom JenkinsLeeds manager Simon Grayson shouts instructions to his team. It wouldn't be any surprise if those instructions were something like "don't track back", and "give him a bit more room" as before the game Grayson said: "Our priority is to get back into the Premier League ... I would take losing if it meant finishing in the top six at the end of the season"Photograph: Tom JenkinsIt's a bit of a scrappy start to the game, with neither team able to put together decent patterns of play. Here Max Gradel tries to get past Emmanuel EbouePhotograph: Tom Jenkins
It's a robust team that have come to the Emirates as Marouane Chamakh finds out when he tries to shield the ball from Robert Snodgrass ...Photograph: Tom Jenkins... as does Tomas RosickyPhotograph: Tom JenkinsEleven minutes in and Arsenal have a golden chance to take the lead but unfortunately it goes begging. A through ball from stand-in captain Rosicky is weighted perfectly for Andrey Arshavin, who started his run deep inside the Leeds half – but maybe he had a bit too much time to think about what he was going to do and he just jabs the ball softly at Kasper Schmeichel. Though the Leeds keeper did well to come out and make himself big, the Arsenal striker knows that he should have slotted it past him and into the net Photograph: Tom JenkinsArsenal come even closer to scoring on the half hour when, following a corner, Bendtner directs the ball goalwards and Schmeichel is beaten, but Leeds captain Jonathon Howson comes the the rescue and hooks the ball clear from his own goal-linePhotograph: Tom JenkinsAlex Bruce goes in rather heavily on Chamakh. That's gotta hurt ...Photograph: Tom Jenkins... so must have thatPhotograph: Tom JenkinsBradley Johnson and Alex Song tussle for the ballPhotograph: Tom JenkinsJohnson is in the middle of things again, this time he dispossesses Arshavin. The teams go in at half-time with the score goalless. Though Arsenal have had the better chances they were hardly overwhelming, so the game isn't over by any means ...Photograph: Tom JenkinsThe second half is only nine minutes old when Leeds get the opportunity to go in front. Gradel gets the ball in the area then tries to go past Denilson but the Arsenal midfielder clumsily sticks out his left leg. Going ...Photograph: Tom Jenkins... GoingPhotograph: Tom Jenkins... GonePhotograph: Tom JenkinsSnodgrass steps up to take the resulting penalty. He hits it hard with his left foot towards the right hand cornerPhotograph: Tom Jenkins... it's close to Szcezny and he gets a hand to it, but the power on the ball takes it into the net. 1-0 to LeedsPhotograph: Tom JenkinsSnodgrass celebrates ...Photograph: Tom Jenkins... as do the Leeds fansPhotograph: Tom JenkinsRather understandably, Song doesn't look too happy. He looked even more miserable five minutes later when he was substituted for Cesc FabregasPhotograph: Tom JenkinsLeeds have got the bit between their teeth now and just after the hour mark almost make it two, but Becchio is denied by a fabulous save from Szczesny. As a corner comes in, the Leeds striker manages to lose his marker, Denilson, to give himself a free header which is firm and arrows straight towards the bottom corner but the Arsenal goalkeeper plunges to his right to palm it firmly away. A very, very important savePhotograph: Tom JenkinsThe home fans look into the sun and also to Fabregas to save them from a humiliating defeatPhotograph: Tom JenkinsMidway through the second half, Arsene Wenger sends on Theo Walcott in an effort to rescue the game. With two minutes to go it looks like the decision might pay off when the Arsenal winger goes down in the box and the ref points to the spot. However Phil Dowd then changes his mind after he spots his linesman flagging Bendtner offside. Replays show the Arsenal striker was offside but after the ball was played to him. Walcott later admitted to diving, however, so justice was donePhotograph: Tom JenkinsBut wait. Just one minute later, the referee is pointing to the spot again and this time there's no doubting it's the correct decision. Walcott was the victim again, this time being dragged back by Parker as he runs through on goal. Fabregas steps up to take the kick and strokes it pretty much down the middle. That's 1-1 and relieved faces around the red part of the EmiratesPhotograph: Tom Jenkins
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