Arsenal handles Ipswich, Man U beats Blackpool
Source: Agencies |
January 27, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ARSENAL moved within one win of ending its six-year silverware drought by beating Ipswich 3-0 in the League Cup semifinals on Tuesday in London.
In the Premier League, Dimitar Berbatov scored a dramatic late winner as Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Blackpool 3-2 while Aston Villa defeated Wigan 2-1.
Arsenal beat second-tier Ipswich to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, setting up a League Cup final at Wembley Stadium on February 27 against either West Ham or Birmingham. The Hammers held a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes the victory will be the catalyst for lifting more important trophies.
The League Cup sits fourth on the priority list for Arsenal, behind the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, and Wenger usually deploys his youngsters.
However pressure has been steadily building for Arsenal to win a title, having not claimed a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.
Wenger's about-face on giving importance to the competition came after sustained pressure from some fans. It is also a trophy the Frenchman hasn't won since joining Arsenal in 1996.
"It can get the pressure off the team to deliver in the other competitions," Wenger said. "It's not only a target in itself. We have bigger targets, but it can help us as well to achieve the other targets."
The Gunners have won the League Cup twice, beating Liverpool in 1987 and Sheffield Wednesday in 1993. The League Cup final next month will be the club's first final at Wembley since 1998, having won the 2005 FA Cup at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is desperate to win the League Cup for the fans.
"It is going to be a very difficult final but we will do our best, because the fans deserve a trophy again," he said.
Meanwhile, United, unbeaten in the league, looked to be heading for defeat at the hands of Blackpool after Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell gave the home side a 2-0 lead at halftime.
But Berbatov scored in the 72nd minute, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez came off the bench to equalize two minutes later and Berbatov struck the winner in the 88th to complete the comeback.
In the Premier League, Dimitar Berbatov scored a dramatic late winner as Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Blackpool 3-2 while Aston Villa defeated Wigan 2-1.
Arsenal beat second-tier Ipswich to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, setting up a League Cup final at Wembley Stadium on February 27 against either West Ham or Birmingham. The Hammers held a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopes the victory will be the catalyst for lifting more important trophies.
The League Cup sits fourth on the priority list for Arsenal, behind the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, and Wenger usually deploys his youngsters.
However pressure has been steadily building for Arsenal to win a title, having not claimed a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup.
Wenger's about-face on giving importance to the competition came after sustained pressure from some fans. It is also a trophy the Frenchman hasn't won since joining Arsenal in 1996.
"It can get the pressure off the team to deliver in the other competitions," Wenger said. "It's not only a target in itself. We have bigger targets, but it can help us as well to achieve the other targets."
The Gunners have won the League Cup twice, beating Liverpool in 1987 and Sheffield Wednesday in 1993. The League Cup final next month will be the club's first final at Wembley since 1998, having won the 2005 FA Cup at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is desperate to win the League Cup for the fans.
"It is going to be a very difficult final but we will do our best, because the fans deserve a trophy again," he said.
Meanwhile, United, unbeaten in the league, looked to be heading for defeat at the hands of Blackpool after Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell gave the home side a 2-0 lead at halftime.
But Berbatov scored in the 72nd minute, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez came off the bench to equalize two minutes later and Berbatov struck the winner in the 88th to complete the comeback.
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