By Ian Grant
So no traumatic – Wrexham, Swindon, Millwall experience – to rub salt in the away wounds.
A through ball by Patrick Vieira on 22 and sharp finishing from Sylvain Wiltord who no doubt cost more than the whole of the Carlisle team, proved that financial muscle can count.
But there was steel and control in the Arsenal performance. The scoreline would have illustrated the difference in class, but for Matty Glennon, the Bolton on loan keeper.
He made excellent saves from Bergkamp, before half-time, and from Ljungberg and Wiltord after the interval.
Arsenal with eight players out and with Stepanovs and Vivas forming an unlikely central defensive unit, allowed Carlisle to have a couple of good early chances.
Ian Stevens hesitated when put through and then stabbed another chance wide after beating Manninger.
Major talking point was the terrible two footed tackle by Richard Prokas on Patrick Vieira, leaving a broken and blood stained shin pad.
Vieira has gone 19 matches without getting booked – so he is doing his part. Referee Stephen Lodge clearly isn’t, letting this irresponsible act of violence go unpunished – even with a yellow card. To give Nelson Vivas one for protesting, seriously undermines Lodge’s credibility.
After the match Arsene Wenger commented that Vieira had got clattered by a two footed tackle at Charlton, and on the lack of referee protection said:”that’s not fair.”
He said that overall, it was a professional performance and that Igor Stepanovs does better each game he plays.