Entries from October 2004 ↓

Manchester City were superior in the first half against Wenger’s usual mix of youth and Reserves. But the youngsters found inspiration after interval. Arturo Lupoli thought he had put them ahead in the 74th minute but his close-range goal was ruled out.

Four minutes later, Robin van Persie finished off a well-worked move to change the tie. Substitute Danny Karbassiyoon fired home a second in injury time and, although Robbie Fowler scored a consolation, Arsenal held on.

So it is upward and onward in this competition. Wenger’s boys enjoyed a super run to the Semi-Finals last year. But this victory, away from home at a mid-table Premiership side, arguably eclipses that.

On the day Wenger signed a new deal at the Club, his current crop of youngsters had suggested how bright that future could be.

As expected no one who started Sunday’s game was involved in tonight’s tie. There were wholesale changes with Manuel Almunia, Robin Van Persie, Seb Larsson and Arturo Lupoli all making their debuts. In addition to those, Ryan Smith, Mathieu Flamini were making their first starts for the Club.

Manchester City were probably at two-thirds strength. Ronald Watereus, Nedum Onuoha and Jonathan D’Laryea were the unfamiliar names in an otherwise strong line-up.

The home side enjoyed success down the right in the early stages. Willo Flood forced Larsson to bring him down in the second minute and Shaun Wright-Phillips also caused the Swede some trouble. It was surprising to see a team in red and white pushed back. They had yet to settle.

Then Lupoli and Van Persie slowly started to find some cohesion. The Italian sent the Dutchman clear on the quarter-hour but Danny Mills pushed him wide and then fouled him close the right-hand byline. The free-kick came to nothing.

The Arsenal’s youngsters were showing wonderful technique but Manchester City were physically much the stronger side.

In the 26th minute, Wright-Phillips fired a long-range shot that Almunia clutched to his chest with relative ease. Two minutes later Mills’ free-kick was nodded down by Antoine Sibierski to Fowler in space but the former Liverpool striker fired wide when he should have done better.

Van Persie attempted a couple of optimistic chips as the visitors mounted their first sustained pressure in the final 15 minutes of the half. But Manchester City continued to be dangerous, particularly through Flood on the right.

Trevor Sinclair popped up on that flank five minutes before the break and sent over a teasing cross for the diving Sibierski to nod goalwards. Almunia had to stretch but made a comfortable save.

Francesc Fabregas forced Waterreus into action with the final kick of the half. He stooped low to comfortably gather up the ball. It was as close as Arsenal had come to scoring.

Lupoli’s fired a low shot wide of the post two minutes after the restart. But Cygan cleared off the line after Almunia failed to collect Sibierski’s cross and Hoyte hacked a cross from Wright-Phillips out for a corner before Fowler could pounce.

Manchester City were still looking more dangerous but Arsenal were playing with greater belief.

Smith hobbled off with what looked like a calf injury with 29 minutes left. Quincy came on. The Dutch striker seemed to give the visitors impetus.

Pennant drove wide and then after, Wright-Phillips had tested Almunia, the substitute set up compatriot Van Persie but he sidefooted high over the bar at the near post.

With 16 minutes left, Fabregas lofted a high ball to Van Persie at the corner of the area. The striker chested the ball down and his low shot was turned into the path of Lupoli by Waterreus. The Italian was only five yards out and tapped the ball over the line. But the celebrations were muted when the referee disallowed the goal, presumably for handball.

They were reignited four minutes later. The excellent Flamini played one-two with Lupoli and drove into the area. He squared the ball for the waiting Van Persie with gleefully slid home the opener.

Fabregas fed Karbassiyoon to fire home a second from the angle and although Fowler fired home free-kick with the last touch of the game, it was only a consolation.

Holding up to 5,000 songs, the U2 iPod comes in black with a red ‘click wheel’ and custom engraving of U2 band member signatures.

‘We want our audience to have a more intimate online relationship with the band, and Apple can help us do that,’ said Bono. ‘With iPod and iTunes, Apple has created a crossroads of art, commerce and technology which feels good for both musicians and fans.’

Edge, the resident early-adopter in the band, was also delighted at U2’s partnership with Apple.

‘iPod and iTunes look like the future to me and it’s good for everybody involved in music.’

The announcement of the U2 iPod is the latest in a string of intriguing developments from U2, Universal Music and Apple ahead of the release of U2’s album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb in November. Two weeks ago, Apple and U2 released a TV ad featuring U2 performing the new single ‘Vertigo.’ You can see it online here.

And Apple has also created the a groundbreaking U2 ‘Digital Box Set’, 400 U2 tracks at the click of a mouse. (Complete story here).

‘U2 is one of the greatest bands in the world and we are floored to be working with them,’ said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. ‘We just want to make some innovative products together, and we hope U2 fans will love having their very own special edition iPod.’

Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of UMG’s Interscope Geffen A&M Records, said U2 and Apple have a special relationship ‘where they can start to redefine the music business’.

‘The iPod along with iTunes is the most complete thought that we’ve seen in music in a very long time.’

How ironic for a team that went three years and an NFL-record 24 games without winning away from Motown.

Joey Harrington threw two touchdown passes, and Chris Cash made a crucial diving interception in the end zone late in the first half to lead the Lions to a 28-13 win over the New York Giants.

“I feel like we can go in anywhere and play and compete,” Harrington said after the Lions (4-2) won for the third time in three road games this season.

“That’s the type of attitude you have to have as a team, as a contender,” Harrington added. “We’re right in the thick of things. We’re not going to say this is good enough, we can be a contender next year because we are young. We’re going to give it a shot and keep playing and hopefully things will fall for us.”

Kevin Jones scored on a 2-yard run and Artose Pinner iced the game with an 8-yard TD run as Detroit snapped a four-game winning streak for the Giants (4-2).

The loss also showed that even new coach Tom Coughlin could not change the Giants’ woes after a bye week. New York has lost four straight, 8 of 9, and 13 of 16 since the NFL started giving teams weeks off in 1990.

“I can’t blame it on the bye week, that’s a cop-out,” Giants defensive end Michael Strahan said. “If you don’t make plays you don’t win. We didn’t have any enthusiasm. We had it, let it go, and the Lions picked it up and never let go of it.”

Harrington, 18 for 22 for 230 yards, threw TD passes of 18 yards to rookie Roy Williams in the first quarter and a 2-yarder to Reggie Swinton late in the fourth for a 21-13 lead.

After linebacker Alex Lewis batted away a fourth-down pass to Jeremy Shockey deep in New York territory, Pinner sealed the victory.

Kurt Warner and Tiki Barber combined on a 62-yard screen pass for a touchdown, and Steve Christie kicked field goals of 19 and 25 yards for the Giants, whose offense was horrible near the Detroit end zone.

The Giants, whose winning streak was based on getting turnovers, lost the takeaway battle 2-0, with no play hurting more than Cash’s interception in the final minute of the first half.

Cash, who started at left cornerback for Fernando Bryant, made a diving interception off a lazy pass by Warner with 39 seconds to go and New York ahead 10-7.

The pick came after Warner completed six passes to move the Giants from their 6-yard line to the Lions 11. Warner avoided a sack on the interception but he lobbed the ball to a wide open Amani Toomer. Cash closed quickly to make the interception.

“That was huge,” Lions defensive end James Hall said. “It took points off the board going into the half and kept the game close.”

Cash, who described his plays as “great,” had chased Toomer all the way across the field in making the interception.

Warner said he lofted the ball too much over a defender.

“It could have been a huge momentum swing for us and really put us in control,” said Warner, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 270 yards. “It was a game we should have had but we made some mistakes.”

The Lions took the lead early in the second half on Jones’ first TD run and they never lost it.

Detroit, limited to five first downs and 125 total yards in a loss to Green Bay last week, scored on a 10-play, 70-yard drive on the opening series of the game. Harrington connected on three third-down passes, capping the drive with a pass to Williams. It was the rookie’s fifth TD catch.

The Giants tied it in the closing seconds of the first quarter when Barber scored on the screen pass that started with the back running into center Shaun O’Hara. Rookie receiver Jamaar Taylor had a big block.

Christie put New York ahead 10-7 seconds after Ron Dayne was stuffed on a third-and-goal from the Lions 1.

Jones gave the Lions a 14-10 lead on their opening series of the second half. He had runs of 22 and 20 yards before scoring to cap the five-play, 68-yard drive.