Saturday 19 February 2011 13:49, UK
Ben Chorley has warned Arsenal they could face a tougher task overcoming Leyton Orient than they did overturning Barcelona.
The Gunners came from behind to record a famous victory over the Primera Division champions 2-1 at the Emirates on Wednesday but must now prepare for an entirely different challenge against the League One side in the FA Cup fifth round. O's skipper Chorley admits it might sound like a joke but he believes the full-blooded enthusiasm on show at Brisbane Road on Sunday could prove a more difficult challenge for the Gunners to overcome than the silky passing of Barca. Defender Chorley, whose side have lost just once in 20 matches, said: "It'll definitely be a different style to Barcelona - not that far off though, with the way the gaffer (Russell Slade) likes us to play. "But we can get the ball down and mix it up a bit and it will be difficult for them. I should say, and you might laugh, that it might be a little bit harder for them than Barcelona. "They might have to work a little bit harder, put their head in some places they wouldn't have to put their head in against Barcelona. "We might not have a big chance but there's a slight chance. "We'll go out there fully prepared to work a bit harder, get a bit more luck and maybe it might be our day." Orient chairman Barry Hearn has said he expects the cup run and the Arsenal fixture to be worth up to £800,000 to his side - the difference between recording big losses and breaking even for the year. He has already pledged to take his squad for a Las Vegas holiday if they win or draw against Arsene Wenger's side, but Slade has already set about spending some of the gate receipts on tinkering with the managers' post-match area. "Arsene is pretty high on the list of managers I've come across," said Slade. "I'm sure we'll have a little tactical battle on the sidelines and one or two choice words. "But we'll tidy the bunker for him - that's the little room we have for after the game. "We've already put a nice little three-piece suite in there and we'll improve the quality of the wine for Mr Wenger." Slade accepts his side are long-odds underdogs to get a result but insists a fixture like this can only be positive for his play-off chasing side. "We've earned a right to have a crack at Arsenal," he said. "If we played them 20 times we would probably lose 19 times but it's that one game on that one day we're looking for. "It is a fantastic occasion. They have a 25-man squad and it's 25 internationals. My players know they will be up against an international centre forward or an international centre-half - it doesn't matter who they pick. "They can't often say that and their families will be so proud."