Arsenal v Ipswich Town - as it happened

Evening all: It's Kick over the Statues time at Sky Sports where Andy Gray has paid the price for "new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behaviour". That would be this . No word yet on the fate of Gray's Beavis, a sidekick who giggles his approval at his mate's "harmless banter". It's all a bit of fun, innit? Well, they're gettin ga right kicking now, from Sky insiders only too happy to see them get their comeuppance after a couple of decades of lording it over the little people. They made few friends on their rise up the greasy pole so everyone's enjoying putting the boot in on the way down. Above the line on most newspaper websites everyone's having the time of their lives. Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead. Below it, at least on the ones that are running pictures of the said assistant referee in, of all things, a SKIRT, ye gods, it's "political correctness gone mad" over and over and over again. It may be poor taste to join in the schadenfreude but then again, let's leave the last word on taste for now to Gray. ""People say footballers have terrible taste in music but I would dispute that," he said. "In the car at the moment I've got The Corrs, Cher, Phil Collins, Shania Twain and Rod Stewart." You see, Andy. You've not just let yourself down. You've let Cher, Shania, Andrea, Caroline, Sharon and her diddly-dee tin whistle down as well. Hang your head, son. Hang it. Here's your teams: Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Denilson, Wilshere, Fabregas, Bendtner, Arshavin, Van Persie. Subs: Shea, Nasri, Walcott, Song, Eboue, Gibbs, Chamakh. Ipswich: Fulop, Leadbitter, McAuley, Delaney, O'Dea, Kennedy, Healy, Norris, Edwards, Wickham, Priskin. Subs: Lee-Barrett, Peters, O'Connor, Scotland, Hyam, Smith, Civelli. Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire) Brief preamble : That's a pretty strong Arsenal side, though I'm surprised Walcott's not in the starting XI as Andrei Arshavin looked woefully out of sorts in both games against Leeds and at Portman Road. Van Persie's headed goal at Elland Road was a thing of rare beauty for the Arsenal and Bendtner's magnificent cross the best thing I've seen him do this season. Ipswich, not playing rugby as Cesc Fábregas said in a throway line that was spun out of all proportion by the feral rolling news beast, played very well in the first leg, launching attacks forward on the break with long balls from the back. Ian McParland has now gone and Paul Jewell has won one and lost one of his two games in charge, fighting back from 1-0 down to defeat Doncaster 3-2 at the weekend, Connor Wickham scoring his first goal of the season. Incidentally no Gray quips on the BBC coverage so far. In other news : Emmanuel Adebayor has gone to Real Madrid on loan. This is Arsène Wenger's sixth League Cup semi-final, losing four (in 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2008) and picking the kids in the one he won in 2007 and going on to be defeated by Chelsea in the final. One of those defeats came at the hands of Paul Jewell's Wigan in 2006 but no one on the Beeb seems to think that's much of an omen. An email: "I played Fifa 11 on my PS3 this morning," writes Jeff Woodman. (A can of Coke? I can I can't.) "Their version of Andy Gray had no sexist comments or disparaging words about women. How the heck I am supposed to teach my daughter about the rules of football without Andy's wisdom?" Just keep saying "bags of pace", "pace to burn", "frightening pace", "you can't buy pace like that" and, of course, "when did you play the game professionally?" 1 min: Ipswich kick off and there's talk of parking the bus already. Daftly because Leadbitter tries a 50-yard chip straight from the off. It sails wide. There'll be no Blackpool v Man Utd updates on here by request of Ivo Stoyanov. Join Paul Doyle on the link above if you're after that. 2 min: Wickham plays a subtle reverse pass in the centre circle that wasn't read very well at ball by Kennedy and Djourou picks it off. "All this Van Persie hype," writes Luke Stevenson. "Watch him do what he has done for the last five years every time he gets a bit of good form going on. Get injured in 10 minutes and be out for three months. Wouldnt like to see it, but its the normal 'What are the chances?!' Response to the Beebs punditry." 3 min: Kennedy brings down Wilshere and Van persie takes the free kick with his left foot, 40 yards out. He curls it in but overhits it and it's out for a goalkick, Fabregas, earlier, almost got on the end of Bendtner's pass into the box but it skipped away from him. 5 min: Van Persie has a shot when Sagna's cross comes in and is deflected to him just behind the penalty spot. He pivots to volley but slices it and it's out. Ipswich launch from the back and Norris wins a corner after taking on Clichy. Again it's poor execution and the ball goes back to Fulop. 7 min: Arshavin gets his foot in and wins a tackle with Carlos Edwards, palys in Fabregas but Kennedy tracks back and wins the ball. Ipswich break quickly but to no effect. 9 min: "Probably need to stop the updating twitter feed on the right if you don't want people to see the score in the United game," writes Jonathan Norman. Er, right, can I do that by switching it off and switching it back on again. I'll ask one of the Slipknot fans. Ooooh. Now Fabregas goes over in the box and it was a dreadful dive, chucking himself to the turf like the proverbial dying swan. Ipswich fans boo. Mark Halsey waves him up. Not good, that. 11 min: Thad Brown sends this in from his newhavengooners blog: "The starting lineup the last time Les Gooners won un trophee en Angleterre was: Lehman; Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Cole; Fabregas, Vieira, Silva, Pires, Reyes; Bergkamp with Henry out injured. Not surprising Wenger will take any trophy on offer these days." Remember it well, making Dennis toil upfront on his own all game with little service. Ipswich's free kick and Szcezsny fails to get out through the defenders. Possibly a flap, according to Marky Bright. McAuley wins the header but connesct with the part of his napper abover his ear and spoons it over. Sagna was injured in the challenge from the dead ball, clashing heads with the goalkeeper. Long wait while the medics do their work. 15 min: They've started again and although Eboue took off his natty tracksuit top to come on, Sagna's had the smelling salts and is going to have a go at staying on. Gingerly at first. Love the word gingerly. It's in the commentator's lexicon. 17 min: Arshavin wins a header, controls the ball and pokes it through to Van Persie who tries to dribble through the box but is crowded out. Sagna does go off. Eboue comes on. 19 min: Fabregas tries a one-two with Van Persie but it bounces off Delaney on to Bendtner who feeds Fabregas back on the right of the box and he shoots low across goal but Fulop gets down well to save. 21 min: "Andy Gray must have a heck of a big car to fit all those singers he says he's got in it," says Ian Copestake. He has, he's got a "taxio". I'll find the link for that in a minute. 23 min: Wickham just skinned Bendtner out on Ipswich's left but overran the ball when he stormed forward. Up the other end Arshavin wins a corner, which he takes, badly, low, about waist-high but it gets past the defender on the far edge of the six-yard box and bobbles across the area and eventually out for a throw. 24 min: Arsenal are starting to carve out chances, the latest Van persie's far-post header that hits the bar. Bendtner's doing pretty well out wide, his crossing has been spot-on so far. 25 min: Wickham is booked for upending Djourou and then Fabregas's reputation goes before him, on the edge of the Ipswich box. It looked as though he was cleaned out there, knocked over as he tried to storm through the middle but Halsey waves play on. No replay yet. 27 min: "On the subject of Andy Gray, I've been dying to say that he forgot his Keys on the way out," writes Ivo Stoyanov. Gone for a Burton, he has. The replay shows Fabregas should have had a free kick. No matter, Van Persie wins one now, Fulop comes out to punch, doesn't get it but Bendtner is blocked by Delaney when the ball comes to earth and he shoots. 29 min: Brilliant Arsenal move, but for the fact that Van persie missed and he was offisde. Very courageous save by Fulop after Fabregas played a lovely lobbed pass straight down the heart of Ipswich's defence and Van Persie raced through to hit it on the volley. 31 min: Nothing much to see here. Well not compared to the whoops coming from Paul Doyle, the jammy sod. Sorry Ivo. That's all I'm saying. 33 min: Ian Copestake quips: "Andy Gray's sacking was first announced on Qwitter." V good, Ian. Ipswich free kick central, 30 yards out, designed for Priskin but he's offside. 34 min: Arshavin gets a lovely pass from Bendtner who goes on into space to receive but the Russian hits his defender. Then Fabregas skips in from Arsenal's quick corner, comes into the box wide on the left and hits it across goal from an angle of about 40 degrees if my protractor's working. Speaking of which, what were set squares for? 36 min: Fabregas should have scored there and maybe if he's hit it with his left he would have. Haven't mentioned Ipswich much because they've been spoiling very effectively but haven't done a great deal until Kennedy goes on a run inside his half, passes to Wickham and on to Priskin. Eboue, I think,sort of block tackles him but Priskin picks up the rebound then gets a bit too excited and loses control in the area. 39 min: The BBC bods seem a bit perplexed that Arsenal aren't a little more direct. Where have they been this past 15 years? Chorus of Swing Low goes around. Is that a Tractor Boy song? 42 min: Thanks Vekram Jenarthanan for enlightening me on the purpose of arcane mathematical instruments: "Perpendicular and parallel lines, Rob. Those were the days, sigh." We just use to throw them at each other, tomahawk style. "Your description of someone who 'gets a bit too excited and loses control in the area' evoked all the wrong images." All double entendres are in the filthy ears of the beholder, Ian. Now, here's Wilshere to Fabregas and through to bendtner who scuffs his shot across goal towards the far corner and there's not enough power in it. Fulop saves and Ipswich scramble it away. 44 min: Ipswich again snuff out another Arsenal three-quarter chance with excellent covering from O'Dea as Van Persie piles through the middle and shapes to shoot with his outstretched left foot. This has not been pretty from Ipswich, but they are throwing themselves in front of the ball, chasing and harrying, flying by the seat of their pants at times to frustrate Arsenal. 45 min +2 : More delays as Djourou has ahead knock treated. 45 min +3 : "A special version for Cesc following rugby claims of previous game," writes Simon Deacon. Very good. Now Van Persie comes deep to collect turns on the right and moves forward upfield diagonally to the left. Passes to Fabregas but Kennedy again thwarts him, matching him stride for stride and nicking it away with his toe. Half time: Back in 10 minutes with your Andy Gray jokes. On second thoughts the lawyers may not be too impressed. Here's Jay from the USA, instead: "Arsenal should be ashamed playing life that in front of their home fans.Bendtner out wide,denilson as defensive mid,that experiment has failed over and over, looks like it will fail once again tonight." Given Jay's email address I think he's an Arsenal fan. Paul Szabo thinks: "Disappointing that Sian Massey is not pulled off the Crewe Alexandra match. Would have loved to witness the crowd reaction upon her appearance – hopefully a standing ovation." And here's Paul Gerard: "Just downloaded the new Fifa 11 commentary update. Not much different - although when my girlfriend went on it, Andy Gray shouted at her to 'put that effing controller down and get back in the kitchen!'" And controversially Terry McGuinness has been paying more attention to the half-time talk-in than me: "Alan Hansen thinks continental players have brought in diving into the English game? So there was no diving prior to Sky's inventing football in 1992? He's clearly never seen Steven Gerrard play." he's seen "Steven" play, all right. 46 min: Ian Copestake has a new plan for Sky: "Sky should replace Gray and Keys with Freddie Starr and Eammon Holmes." Eammon "MyfriendSurAlex"? Please, no. Ipswich corner, headed out by Bendtner and O'Dea fires across goal with his left-foot swinger. 48 min: Time for Nasri, Walcott and Chamakh, opines Mark Bright. Ipswich are pushing forward more so far this half but O'Dea batters Bendtner and Arsenal get a free kick in their half, hit it crossfield then build slowly until Van Persie passes to Fabregas on the 18-yard line and he tries to pass instead of shooting. Move breaks down. Paul Hayton writes: "Why does everyone at the BBC think Bendtner's called Bednar? The worst thing a football pundit can do is to get well known, easy pronunciations wrong. Well, almost the worst thing..." I've noticed that, too, Paul. Roman Bednar signs for the Arse. 50 min: If you read the first tie MBM, Luke Stevenson distills my thoughts into one word: "Note to Arsenal players: SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. That is all." Indeed. What has happened to Arshavin, all over elaboration and poor control. 52 min: Arsenal corner and Van Persie almost connects with a bicycle kick but doesn't. Story of the night. Josh Davis has a thought for Barney Big BSkyB bloke: "Isn't the Pod's James Richardson currently unemployed? Why isn't his name being mentioned as a possible replacement? I live in the US and all I know about football I learned from MBMs, Football Weekly, and bad Chinese internet feeds, so excuse me if this is a ridiculous suggestion." AC Jimbo for Keys. Wilson for Gray. Bourgeois heaven. 54 min: This is a rank performance from Arsenal, a caricature of all their worst shillyshallying infront of goal. Have a bleedin' dig once in a while. Someone. 56 min: Two Arsenal corners, both of them taken short and pointlessly as Van Persie tries to skip past the left-back and gets blocked. 57 min: Fabregas chips to the far post and Van Persie stands tall to win a corner which he clips straight into Fulop's hands. From the break Norris strays offside. Robin Hazlehurst is in fine comedy mode: ""Roman Bednar signs for the Arse'. Could be worse, they could be getting the d and the n the other way round in that, which would see them out the door as quickly as Da Man Andi G." Me, too Robin. 59 min: Wilshere this time attempts to go straight through the middle of Ipswich's defence and Dealney squeezes him out. "The exclamation points from Mr Stevenson's instruction to the Arsenal temporarily gave poor Mr. Gray a Hitler mustache on his picture to the right of your match report," writes Casey Haverstick. Can that be a coincidence? GOAL!! Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich (Bendtner) Fine goal from Shearer's Bednar, taking the ball wide on the left, cuts inside by backheeling with his left foot on to his right, moves into the box and curls a brilliant shot in at the far post. 61 min: Ipswich change. Scotland on, Priskin off. GOAL!! Arsenal 2-0 Ipswich (Koscielny) Another Arsenal corner coming from a move up the left. Arshavin hits it beautifully into the middle of the box, Fulop tries to come for it, fails, and Koscielny gets up and buries his header. 65 min: Did Ipswich run out of steam there or Arsenal's pressure finally told. Not sure. Here's David Tiemroth with a salient point or two: "Alan Hansen thinks continental players have brought in diving into the English game. I wonder which continental players Alan Hansen believes it was that brought diving into the English game and, one would presume, corrupted a poor, impressionable young Francis Lee, considering Lee's reputation as a bit of a flopper was well established even before Hansen made his own professional debut. Was it the dastardly Bert Trautmann? Because that'd be a bit harsh, he had a fairly good reason for throwing himself around constantly." 67 min: As Ian Copestake points out: "One minute you are worrying about libel action and the next Gray is compared to Hitler. I love the MBM." Well … er … you said he was Freddie Starr, Ian. If I go down I'm taking you with me. 69 min: Handbrake taken off the bus and Ipswich are having a go. Chance falls to Scotland on the left of Arsenal's box but instead of centring it he shoots and drags it across goal. 72 min: Mark Halsey stops play and restarts with a drop ball after Fabregas looked to have started an attacking move. Not sure why. Neither is the referee. Vincenzo Perrone asks: "Is there an away goals rule for this tie should Ipswich score, or will it go to extra time on the aggregate?" Extra time Vincenzo. 74 min: Clichy clips a long diagonal pass towards Van Persie on the edge of the box but he can't find the power or accuracy with his header. Ipswich change, O'Connor on, Healy off. 76 min: I've been impressed with Wilshere second half, some very intelligent passes and he always seems to be available. 77 min: Les Brown on isms: "Now that we no longer need to see footballing life in shades of "gray", I can't help wondering why I've never noticed any black officials at level 1 Is this meaningful?" Well, Len, there was Uriah and before him Alf Buksh. GOAL!! Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich (Fabregas) Very good goal. Denmilson wins the ball in deep midfield, plays it to Arshavin wide on the left. he cust inside freeing space for Fabregas to dart into and then hits a lovely pass to his skipper who dinks it into the goal. 79 min: Excellent long ball out of Arsenal's defence taken by Wilshere who dribbles the ball into the area and is only undone by a last-gasp intevention. Despite losing three goals, Ipswich have defended capably. Now they're stretched, however, Arsenal are playing olé keep ball. Ended when Wickham knocks Denílson over. 81 min: Norris has a far-post header as Arsenal go to sleep on the right and Edwards hits a deep cross. He can't get a straight jump at the ball and corkscrews a header wide. 83 min: Arsenal substitutions: Nasri and Walcott come on for Van Persie and Arshavin. 85 min: Before the changes Norris strayed offisde when Ipswich broke down the right. Baby Give it Up adapted by Arsenal fans for Samir Nasri. Eee, the tunes they use. 86 min: Just under 60,000 there at the Emirates and they've been noisy tonight. "For a disgraceful home performance, 3-0 doesn't strike me as too shoddy," writes Ian Copestake. They were poor in the first half. Very poor but started to make inroads down the left in the second. There's someone on the pitch, the BBC refusing to show the "interloper". 88 min: Edwards bursts down the right and hits a very early cross towards the penalty spot and Djourou power heads it out for a corner, from which Bendtner, it must be said, does a rugby punt clearance. 89 min: Szczesny is having lengthy treatment after diving at Norris's feet but he gets up. Two added minutes. 90 min + 1: Wickham gives Eboue a runaround, cutting in from the touchline, selling the full-back this way and that, before getting a shot away that was blocked. Full time: Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich (3-1 aggregate score) She wore, she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon in the merry month of, er, February. And when, we asked, Oh why she wore that ribbon, She said its for the Arsenal and they're going to Wembley." Fine second-half performance from Arsenal, well by comparison with the dross in the first 45 minutes. They kept creating chances and eventually started taking them. Ipswich did very well to keep them at bay, really committed to the task of stopping Arsenal breaking through but once they had they didn't have the energy left, or indeed the time or class, to fight back. Thanks for all your contributions, much appreciated. Good night.