F.A. Cup: Arsenal sent packing

Arsenal’s miserable week continued as they were sent crashing out of the F.A. Cup following a 2-0 defeat at Sunderland in their Fifth Round Tie played on Saturday evening.

Backing up from their humiliating 4-0 Champions League defeat to AC Milan only three days ago the Gunners look almost certain to enter their eighth season with a piece of silverware following being knocked out of the world’s oldest cup competition.

Sitting in fourth place on the league table, 17 points behind leaders Manchester City and all but knocked out of the Champions League the F.A Cup represented the best chance for Arsene Wenger’s side to break their seven year trophy-less streak.

However Wenger’s position will once again come under fire following his side’s dismal display against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats who suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Gunners in their league match-up last weekend made sure that didn’t happen again as Kieran Richardson opened the scoring with a fine volley in the 39^th minute.

Sunderland who dominated the contest against their lacklustre opponents secured their place in the Quarter-Finals of the competition with a 78^th minute own goal by Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger called for his team to ‘stay united and fight’ as the Gunners will look to re-group ahead of their North London showdown against Tottenham next weekend.

“’We have to take the criticism on board, stay together and face the critics. The only response in our job is to stay united and fight and focus on the next game,” Wenger told the English media after the game.

“It’s very difficult tonight to say where it leaves us and what we will do, let’s focus to finish well in the championship and fight as well, even if it’s a small possibility, in the Champions League.”

Wenger’s counterpart in Martin O’Neill was delighted with his side’s progression into the final eight of the competition as the Black Cats look to secure their first piece of silverware in 39-years.

“I’m really, really delighted for everybody concerned with the football club and the players in particular. I thought they were excellent today, not just working hard but when we had the ball,” O’Neill said.

“There’s plenty of self-belief about the team, that’s getting stronger and I think they feel as if they can win matches, which is great.”

Wenger isn’t the only high profile manager to be under pressure as Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is also under fire following his side’s 1-1 home draw against Birmingham City in their Fifth Round Tie at Stamford Bridge.

David Murphy fired the Championship side into a shock lead in the 19^th minute and after Juan Mata missing a first half penalty Chelsea earned themselves a replay with a Daniel Sturridge 62^nd minute equaliser.

Villas-Boas in his first season as Chelsea manager was booed by the home fans after the final whistle and was also taunted by the visiting Birmingham fans who chanted that he was going to get sacked in the morning.

The home fans also responded to the draw as they booed their team off the ground with chants of former Chelsea manager ‘Jose Mourinho’ ringing around the stadium.

Villas-Boas who was described as ‘dead man walking’ by former Blues manager and current Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri during the week said that the recent bad run of form or his side’s up-coming Champions League Round of 16 tie would not determine if he would keep his job or not.

The Portuguese man who was brought over from FC Porto during the off-season has been under severe pressure to hold his job but dismissed talk that the outcome of his Champions League tie would determine the outcome on his Chelsea future.

“No, not at all. It’s not up to me to decide that. You have to ask that question to the right person,” the 34-year-old said when was asked if the outcome of the UCL tie against Napoli would decide his immediate future.

Elsewhere fellow premiership side’s Everton and strugglers Bolton also advanced to quarter-final stage but the in-form Norwich City was knocked out after a 2-1 home loss to Leicester City.

Two goals within the six minutes saw Everton cruise to a 2-0 home win over Championship side Blackpool; whilst Bolton put aside their premiership struggles to advance to the quarter-finals following a 2-0 away win against Millwall.