Premier League leaders, Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw by Southampton at the St. Mary’s Stadium on Tuesday evening. The home side dominated the first half of the encounter, pegging Arsenal to their half and reducing the London side to long balls. It was testament to the expert and disciplined approach of the Saints that Arsenal were unable to hold on to the ball for a long stretch of time and they were unable to register a shot at goal for the majority of the half.
Southampton deservedly took the lead in the 20th minute of the encounter through a Fonte header and they went into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
The Gunners came out smoking in the second half and within two minute of the restart, Arsenal equalized through Olivier Giroud in the 47th minute. Four minute later, the visitors were 2-1 up after Santi Cazorla scored from with a well taken shot from the edge of the box.
However, Southampton responded swiftly as Lallana equalized for the Saints in the 53rd minute. The home side seized the initiative from then on as they piled pressure on the on the visitors. The night however got worse for Arsenal when Matthieu Flamini was sent off in the 80th minute for a rash challenge, however, Arsenal managed to hang on and head back to London with one point.
The floodlights flickered but Arsenal still shone brightly at the Emirates.
Arsene Wenger's men produced another dazzling display as they demolished sorry Coventry to cruise into the fifth round of the FA Cup.
It was all too easy as two-goal Lukas Podolski set the tone with two first half goals and the biggest danger for Arsenal was some of the lights going out in the first half.
Referee Bobby Madley called the two captains together and Per Mertesacker and Carl Baker clearly agreed that bad light should not stop play.
It was even left to the crowd to use the lights on their mobile phones as if it was a pop concert before full floodlight service was restored. But nothing could stop Arsenal as they overwhelmed Coventry in the first half before completing the rout late on thanks to goals from substitutes Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla.
It was a bit rough on brave Coventry, as they gave Arsenal some nervy moments, particularly in the second half when home keeper Lukasz Fabianski made a couple of good saves.
But the Sky Blues went home with their heads held high especially after their fans made their point in either half by holding up placards to protest at having to play their home games in Northampton.
Mike Hewitt
Wet, wet, wet: Mesut Ozil makes progress in the rain
Arsenal boss Wenger said: "Coventry did well. And we did well, especially in the firsthalf. We dropped the pace in our game in the second half and then in the last 20 minutes it became all us again because they were tired.
"They had some chances at the beginning of the second half because they had a real go and some of the players in my team dropped a little bit because they hadn't played for a long time."
The German striker struck the opener after just 15 minutes when Jack Wilshere found Mesut Ozil and the £42m midfielder found his German team-mate, who coolly rounded keeper Joe Murphy and slotted home.
His second was another typical striker's goal as Ozil's corner was flicked on by Per Mertesacker and Podolski headed home at the back post.
It was too easy for Arsenal and yet they did not ease up. Jack Wilshere got booked for a heavy challenge on Franck Moussa and then played on despite taking a heavy whack from Cyrus Christie on his right ankle.
Mike Hewitt
Four star: Santi Cazorla completed the scoring
Coventry put up a strong display after the break as top scorer Leon Clarke had a shot saved by Fabianski and then crashed another effort against the post.
But Arsenal went back into cruise control after Giroud, Cazorla and youngster Gedion Zelalem came on as substitutes.
Zelalem, who turns 17 on Sunday, is the first Arsenal player to be born AFTER Wenger took charge in October 1996. Wenger even smiled afterwards: "That is more damaging for me!"
But they all made a difference. Kieran Gibbs' run and cut back set up Giroud and his low shot flew into the net, before Carl Jenkinson saw a shot saved by Coventry keeper Murphy and Cazorla fired coolly home.
Coventry boss Steven Pressley said: "We were exceptional. We adopted a deeper press game in the first half and if you don't get close to them then Arsenal can be devastating.
"But at 2-0, we looked the more likely team to score. We worked so hard, the players didn't leave an ounce on the pitch and so I'm proud of them."
On the protest, Pressley added: "Everyone is aware of the stance the supporters are taking and we all want the club to be back in Coventry."
Without a trophy since their 2005 success in the same competition, Arsene Wenger's men are likely to have too much for a Coventry side who are fighting for promotion from the third tier despite a 10-point deduction. Arsenal have won their last six matches in all competitions, form that has seen them stave off the challenge of title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea – at least for now.
Much credit has gone to Arsenal's attacking players this season - seven different players have scored in those six wins - but no side has a better defensive record in England's top flight with just 19 conceded.
While Abou Diaby (knee) is also a long-term absentee, better injury news sees returns for Thomas Vermaelen (knee), Nicklas Bendtner (ankle), Aaron Ramsey (thigh) and Mikel Arteta (calf) quickly approaching.
Arsenal have a rich history in the FA Cup, having won the competition on 10 occasions. Only Manchester United have won the tournament more times, and Coventry are also former winners, in 1987.
Free-scoring Coventry are unbeaten in six matches and sit 11th in the table, just eight points off the play-off places in England's third tier, despite the penalty handed down to them in pre-season.
Leyton Orient are the only side with more League One goals than Steven Pressley's charges – who have netted 55 in 26 matches – and in Leon Clarke, they have the division's top scorer with 15.
Clarke has handed a transfer request in amid interest from Wolves, though.
The two sides met in the third round of the Capital One Cup in 2012, with Arsenal romping to a 6-1 home win in a match that saw Olivier Giroud score his first goal for the club.
This clash will just be their fourth against each other in the FA Cup Arsenal knocked Coventry out of the competition in the fourth round in 1975 and 1977, and 37 years on, they will hope for the same result in their continued push for trophies. Source : http://www.goal.com/en/match/129401/arsenal-vs-coventry/preview
Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla struck twice in the second half as Arsenal beat Fulham 2-0 to stay ahead of Manchester City at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
With free-scoring City romping to another big home win as Cardiff were the latest side put to the sword at the Etihad Stadium, there was little margin for error from Arsene Wenger's men, who hold a slender one-point lead.
After a slow first half, the Gunners finally sparked into life as two quick goals from diminutive Spaniard Cazorla gave them what was in the end a comfortable victory.
Fulham - who made the expected sweeping changes from their midweek FA Cup third-round replay win over Norwich - had never won in any competition at Arsenal, losing 22 of their trips so far to north London.
The visitors were almost behind on five minutes when Jack Wilshere played Mesut Ozil into the right side of the penalty area, and his scuffed shot rolled past fit-again goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, but was hacked clear by captain Brede Hangeland, making his first league start since October after back surgery.
Arsenal continued to attack, but were met with a determined wall of dark blue shirts at the edge of the Fulham penalty area.
Former Gunners trainee Steve Sidwell went in heavy on Wilshere to concede a free-kick in a central position some 25 yards out.
Ozil, though, crashed his shot into the wall.
German teenager Serge Gnabry, stepping into the side following Theo Walcott's season-ending knee injury, fed Olivier Giroud at the edge of the 18-yard box, but the France striker fired the ball high and wide.
Fulham finally came to life on 20 minutes when the ball dropped to Sidwell at the edge of the Arsenal penalty area. The midfielder fired in a superb half-volley which Wojciech Szczesny beat away one-handed as it flew towards the top-right corner.
The Poland international then had to get his timing inch-perfect as he came out to save at the feet of Ashkan Dejagah as Fulham pressed again.
Clever footwork from Cazorla after a quick free-kick saw the Spaniard brought down just outside the penalty arc.
Ozil stood over the ball, but left it for Cazorla, whose low strike came off the bottom of the wall, rebounding to Bacary Sagna. His shot was saved as was Giroud's follow-up, but the offside flag had been raised.
There was a scare for Arsenal at the start of the second half as Fulham defender Dan Burn, making his Premier League debut, sent a header goalwards from a corner, but Per Mertesacker was well placed to clear.
Slowly Arsenal regained their dominance, but continued to be frustrated by a lack of a decisive pass to open up the stubborn visitors.
Gnabry continued to look lively and made space for a shot at the edge of the Fulham box which Stekelenburg pushed wide.
The Cottagers goal continued to lead a charmed life as both Cazorla and Gnabry saw close-range efforts blocked before Laurent Koscielny hit the post.
Arsenal finally had the breakthrough on 57 minutes when the ball was worked by Giroud to Wilshere in the left side of the crowded penalty area and he cut it back to Cazorla who drilled his shot into the bottom right corner.
Before Fulham could regroup, they were 2-0 down.
Nacho Monreal's cross from the left was headed out by Burn, and the ball dropped to Cazorla.
The Spaniard needed little invitation to set himself before clipping a lovely drive low past Stekelenburg on 62 minutes.
There was some concern when Giroud went down clutching his ankle following a sliding challenge from Sidwell, but the France forward was able to continue after treatment.
With 20 minutes left, Gnabry was given a break as fellow German Lukas Podolski came on.
The substitute almost had an instant impact as his angled shot was blocked by Sascha Riether and then saw a rasping 20-yard drive touched on to the post by Stekelenburg.
Fulham forward Darren Bent, on for Dejagah, almost continued his good form against Arsenal when clear through after the ball bounced off Szczesny, but could not cut his shot back into the empty net as Koscielny slid in.
