Hotpot

The last thing Arsene Wenger and his players would have wanted after the disappointment of playing brilliantly and failing to win the Carling Cup final is an F.A. Cup replay against grim faced Mark Hughes’ Roughhouse Rovers, who like Sam Allardyce’s Bedrock Wanderers are strangers to the beautiful game.

Perhaps the only consolation can be found in the fact that the squad is currently so heavily depleted that there are really not many selection decisions to be made and at least Arsenal can look forward to the prospect of meeting Steve Coppell’s impressive Reading side at the Emirates in a few days.