Arsenal held as Orient snatch late leveller in FA Cup

Posted Monday, February 21, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal were held to an embarrassing 1-1 draw by Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fifth round as the League One side snatched a last-gasp equaliser at Brisbane Road on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger's side had enjoyed a famous 2-1 win over Spanish champions Barcelona in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday, but they were brought back down to earth in east London as Orient substitute Jonathan Tehoue cancelled out Tomas Rosicky's opener.

Wenger made 10 changes from the line-up that beat Barca, with 18-year-old Spanish centre-half Ignasi Miquel making his debut, and Orient were never overawed against the understudies.

Russell Slade's team had lost just one of their previous 20 matches in all competitions and they went close through Charlie Daniels' fierce first-half strike.

Arsenal midfielder Rosicky broke the deadlock with a header from Nicklas Bendtner's cross in the 53rd minute.

But Orient earned a money-spinning replay at the Emirates Stadium when French striker Tehoue skipped past two defenders and smashed a powerful shot past Manuel Almunia's weak attempted save in the 89th minute.

Whatever happens in the replay the players are due a fortnight in Las Vegas at the invitation of Orient's flamboyant snooker promoter Barry Hearn as he had promised them the trip should they either win or get a draw.

The winners of the replay will face Premier League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Patrick Vieira fired Manchester City into the fifth round as the French midfielder's double inspired a 5-0 rout of Notts County in a fourth round replay.

Vieira, a four-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal, was on target in each half at Eastlands and Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko and Micah Richards also scored late on as Roberto Mancini's side booked a home clash with Aston Villa in the last 16.

Although Tevez, Gareth Barry and Vincent Kompany started on the bench, Mancini still fielded a strong side as he looked to finish off Paul Ince's League One team.

City had needed a late equaliser to avoid an embarrassing exit in the 1-1 draw at Meadow Lane and the hosts survived an early scare here when Karl Hawley hit a post.

Mancini's men took the lead in the 37th minute as Vieira's header from David Silva's corner deflected in off Krystian Pearce.

Vieira struck again in the 58th minute with another header, this time from Alexandar Kolarov's corner.

Tevez came on to score in the 84th minute, while Dzeko netted in the 89th minute and Richards completed the rout in the final moments.

"In the first half an hour Notts County played very well," Mancini said. "It was an important win. I think for us it (the FA Cup) is important.

"We started the game so slowly because when you play every three days it is difficult to play 100 percent in every game. But after we scored it changed the game."

Bolton beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage in the fifth round to secure a quarter-final clash at Birmingham.

Fulham were unbeaten in their last six games, but they fell behind in the 19th minute when Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic pounced on a poor clearance to drill a fine volley past Mark Schwarzer.

It was a good day for Klasnic, who had scored the winner against Wigan in this week's fourth round replay, as the Bolton star also learned he would not face charges after he was arrested on suspicion of rape in October.