Nicklas Bendtner's hat-trick booked Arsenal an FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United after a comfortable 5-0 win over Leyton Orient.
Hat-trick hero, Chamakh and Clichy sweep aside Orient
Nicklas Bendtner's hat-trick booked Arsenal an FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester United after Leyton Orient were swept aside at Emirates Stadium.
The Denmark international scored three times, once from the penalty spot, as Arsene Wenger's side responded in winning style to Sunday's Carling Cup final heartbreak.
Marouane Chamakh had opened the scoring against Russell Slade's League One Orient with his first goal since November, while substitute Gael Clichy added Arsenal's fifth.
Orient had battled to a draw against their Premier League opponents in the original tie, but they were overpowered at Emirates Stadium as Wenger's men deservedly set up a trip to Old Trafford with a 5-0 win.
Only Tomas Rosicky, who would later become another untimely Arsenal injury casualty as he limped off, remained from the starting XI left crestfallen at Wembley.
Teenage defender Ignasi Miquel made his first home appearance and 19-year-old winger Connor Henderson a senior debut.
Centre-back Laurent Koscielny was, officially at least, rested because of a minor hamstring problem, while keeper Wojciech Szczesny - the other guilty party in Sunday's dramatic and costly mix-up which gifted Birmingham a last-gasp winner in the cup final - warmed the bench to give him a break from the spotlight.
Expectation
Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere and Andrey Arshavin were also among the substitutes should they be needed to help get the job done at the second time of asking.
Wednesday's replay - earned after Orient forced a last-minute equaliser at Brisbane Road 10 days ago - was expected to bring in around £700,000 for the League One side, who are set for a trip to Las Vegas on chairman Barry Hearn at the end of a season which could yet finish with promotion via the play-offs.
The Os were cheered on by some 9,000 fans, most having travelled more in hope than genuine expectation of a cup shock which would be off the scale compared to Sunday's result at Wembley.
Chamakh was deployed in Robin van Persie's role at the spearhead of the attack, with the Dutchman set to be out for around a month with a knee injury picked up in scoring the equaliser against Birmingham.
The Moroccan settled any early nerves when he put Arsenal ahead from close range in the seventh minute.
Rosicky darted into the right side of the Orient box before cutting the ball back to the penalty spot, where Chamakh guided a shot into the bottom left corner to take his tally to 12.
Orient almost produced a response when Ben Chorley, a former Arsenal trainee, sent an angled volley goalwards from a corner which was deflected over.
Waltz
The away fans behind the far Clock End thought Alex Revell had steered in an equaliser from Charlie Daniels' cross, but the ball only rippled the side-netting.
Arsenal were soon back on the offensive and doubled their lead on the half-hour when Bendtner sent Kieran Gibbs' cross back into the top-left corner with a looping header from 12 yards.
It was 3-0 in the 43rd minute when Bendtner cut in from the left and curled a low strike into the far corner, for his sixth goal of the season.
Abou Diaby should have made it four at the start of the second half when he waltzed through the Orient defence, but dragged his low shot wide.
Orient refused to lay down and caused more than one moment of panic in the hosts' six-yard box.
However, Arsenal were then awarded a penalty on 61 minutes when Gibbs was tripped by Revell.
During the break in play, Rosicky, who had picked up an injury, was replaced by Nasri. Bendtner smashed the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner to complete his hat-trick, a second for Arsenal.
Wilshere and Clichy were given run-outs for the final 24 minutes, replacing Bendtner and Diaby.
The French full-back drilled number five into the bottom corner for his first goal since November 2008 as Arsene Wenger's men booked a mouth-watering clash against their Premier League title rivals at Old Trafford on 12th March.
| Arsenal |
Team Statistics |
Leyton Orient |
| 5 |
Goals |
0 |
| 3 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 7 |
Shots on Target |
1 |
| 3 |
Shots off Target |
3 |
| 5 |
Blocked Shots |
2 |
| 4 |
Corners |
6 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
8 |
| 0 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 91.7 |
Passing Success |
82.8 |
| 16 |
Tackles |
17 |
| 56.2 |
Tackles Success |
64.7 |
| 60.2 |
Possession |
39.8 |
| 71 |
Territorial Advantage |
29 |
|
