Arsenal manager demands no let-up against Orient in FA Cup

Arsene Wenger (pictured) has demanded his Arsenal side maintain the standards they set in beating Barcelona when they face League One Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger has demanded his Arsenal side maintain the standards they set in beating Barcelona when they face League One Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.
Wenger's side hit new heights against the La Liga champions following a second half comeback that confirmed them to be genuine challengers in the Champions League.
That win, however, came just eleven days after Wenger's team had squandered a four-goal lead at Newcastle, prompting questions about their consistency and mental strength.
The Gunners manager believes his side can succeed in all four competitions -- Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and the League Cup -- but to do so he knows his side must avoid further slip-ups.
It clearly won't take anything like the level of performance that accounted for Barcelona to win comfortably at the Matchroom Stadium, but the manager has demanded standards are maintained nonetheless.
"We can gain more respect from everybody if we turn up on Sunday with absolutely full commitment then people will say this team is ready to have a real go and not choose the competition or the games," Wenger said.
"When you are a top-level competitive man or team you go absolutely 100 per cent committed into every game.
"The media give more importance to some games than others but for us to win trophies we have to take a distance with that and be able to switch from one competition to another with exactly the same commitment."
Arsenal have failed to win a trophy since their 2005 FA Cup triumph but Wenger remains confident his side is capable of making a clean sweep of silverware this season.
"We want to go for every competition," he said. "I believe we can go in every one to the end but it can also stop very quickly. It's down to how much we believe and how much commitment we show.
"I'm convinced we have the hunger and we have some talent and we are all committed to go as far as we can."

Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas celebrates after scoring on a penalty kick during their FA Cup 4th round match against Huddersfield Town at the Emirates Stadium in London, on January 30. Arsenal play League One Leyton Orient in their 5th round clash on Sunday.

Wenger's hopes have been lifted by the news centre back Johan Djourou could be back after recovering from a back injury sustained against Barcelona.
Theo Walcott has also recovered from a hamstring problem and right back Bacary Sagna returns after suspension.
"From the other night we have not lost anybody with a big injury," said Wenger. "Djourou looks to be much better than expected, Walcott as well.
"(Abou) Diaby is suspended so he will not be involved but he could not play anyway, he is not ready."
Orient's future has thrown into focus in the past week because of the proposal for West Ham to takeover the nearby Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Olympics.
The League One club's home is located close to the stadium and chairman Barry Hearn has raised fears that the presence of a Premier League team on their doorstep could ultimately kill off the smaller outfit.
Attention will switch back to football this weekend, however, with Russell Slade's side -- who lay tenth going into the latest round of league fixtures -- going into the tie on the back of an eleven-game unbeaten run.
Orient centre back Ben Chorley has added incentive to help spring an upset after being released by Wenger in 2003.
"When I was in the youth team at Arsenal we had a lot of success, but I was 21, in the third year of my professional contract and had a chance to go and play for Wimbledon," said Chorley.
"I thought I needed to go and play, and I haven't looked back. Some 250 games on I finally have the chance to prove to Arsenal that they were wrong."

Man City look to 'finish off' Notts County in FA Cup

Notts County's Lee Hughes (2nd right) jumps for the ball with Manchester City's Joleon Lescott (2nd left) and Man City's Pablo Zabaleta (centre) during their FA Cup 4th round match at Meadow Lane in Nottingham, central England, on January 30. City were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by Notts County last month but will book a 5th round date with Aston Villa if they win Sunday's replay at Eastlands.

Manchester City have been urged to finish off Notts County in the FA Cup so they can start "smelling the Wembley hot dogs".
Roberto Mancini's expensively-assembled side were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by the League One club last month but will book a fifth round date with Aston Villa if they overcome County in Sunday's replay at Eastlands.
That will leave City just 180 minutes away from the semi-final and on the brink of a Wembley appearance.
"I have a saying that once you get into the semi-final, you can start smelling the hot dogs," said Brian Kidd, Mancini's assistant at City.
"You have to wait that late and not take anything for granted. You don't have to be the best team to win it, you can get lucky in the draw and play well on the day.
"Anyone can beat a team that's fancied and that is the beauty of the FA Cup."
Kidd won the FA Cup twice in his role as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and he is determined to help Mancini clinch his first piece of silverware as City look to end a 35-year wait for major cup success.
"Once you win the FA Cup, it's intoxicating - a great feeling," added Kidd, who helped Ferguson mastermind victories over Chelsea in 1994 and Liverpool in 1996.
"When you win a trophy it's like an injection and you want more of it. The FA Cup is fantastic and although people might say times have changed, the final is a memorable day.
"I can remember the brass bands and the white suits and the rest. It is a fantastic occasion."
Only a late equaliser by Edin Dzeko, City's 27 million pound signing from Wolfsburg, spared City's blushes at Notts County three weeks ago after Neal Bishop had put the club from the third tier within sight of a major upset.

Notts County's Lee Hughes (centre) celebrates after teammate Neal Bishop scored the opening goal against Manchester City during their FA Cup match at Meadow Lane in Nottingham, central England, on January 30. City were held to a surprise 1-1 draw by Notts County last month but will book a 5th round date with Aston Villa if they win Sunday's replay at Eastlands.

Kidd insists City, who sit third in the table following last Saturday's defeat to Manchester United, will not be taking the replay for granted.
"We aim very high as a club," he added. "At the start of the season we said we wanted to make the top four of the Premier League and pick up a trophy.
"We have a good strong squad but we are respectful to every team we play."
Nigel de Jong (ankle) and James Milner (hamstring) are both injury concerns although Mario Balotelli is expected to feature after emerging unscathed after making his long-awaited return from a knee injury as a substitute in the Europa League in midweek.
Notts County will be backed by over 4,000 fans, each hoping that the team managed by former Manchester United and England player Paul Ince can claim a second Premier League scalp after knocking out Sunderland in the previous round.
"We need to take belief from the game up at Sunderland and also the original tie against Manchester City," said defender Graeme Lee.
"We know that it will be difficult because the pitch will be a lot smoother and they can zip the ball around a lot more.
"But we have just got to go there with confidence and if we can perform then you never know. Things happen in the FA Cup that don't always follow the script."

Mourinho home joy as Real close gap on Barca

Real Madrid's midfielder Sergio Canales (L) clashes with Levante's forward Felipe Caicedo (R) during their Spanish League football match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. Real Madrid won 2-0.

Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho celebrated nine years unbeaten in the league on home soil as his Real Madrid team defeated Levante 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday to close to within two points of league leaders Barcelona.

First half goals from French forward Karim Benzema and Portuguese centre-back Ricardo Carvalho helped Real make it a perfect 12 home league wins and keep the pressure on Barcelona in the title race.

It also meant Mourinho extended his personal unbeaten home league run with FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real to nine years with his last league home defeat back on February 23, 2002 when his Porto side lost 3-2 to Beira Mar.

Barcelona, beaten 2-1 by Arsenal in their midweek Champions League match, will hope to respond with a home win over Atletic Bilbao on Sunday to restore their five-point lead at the summit.

"We don't depend on ourselves and really the pressure is on us in second, not on the team at the top," Mourinho said. "I don't know if I will watch Barcelona v Athletic (Bilbao) on Sunday. We are travelling (to Lyon) on Monday so perhaps I will eat out with the family."

Mourinho rested Mesut Ozil, Xabi Alonso, and Emmanuel Adebayor with Tuesday's Champions League match in Lyon in mind, but his side were still too strong for a Levante side they had thrashed 8-0 in the Kings Cup.

"We gave a rest to (Mesut) Ozil and Xabi (Alonso). Everyone knows they will play against Lyon, who have had 24 hours more rest than us," added Mourinho.

With just six minutes gone Argentine di Maria dribbled past three defenders before crossing to give Benzema an easy tap-in for only his third league goal of the season.

Di Maria, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo all went close before Madrid got their second from a set-piece five minutes before the break.

Ronaldo floated in a cross from the left and compatriot Carvalho volleyed home from close range as Levante got their back line all wrong.

Levante, two points above the bottom three, had won their last three league outings but hardly troubled stand-in Real goalkeeper Antonio Adan, deputising for the suspended Iker Casillas, with the 23-year-old having a comfortable game on his Real home league debut.

German international midfielder Sami Khedira had the chance to make it 3-0 early in the second half but didn't get a good connection on his shot and goalkeeper Gustavo Munua saved.

Munua had to be at his best on 64 minutes as he tipped over a header from Ronaldo and then denied Benzema from the resulting corner.

Ronaldo, who could easily have had a hat-trick, was thwarted again in the 80th minute as Real pressed for more.

Earlier third-placed Valencia missed the chance to pull away from Champions League rivals Villarreal following a disappointing 0-0 home draw with strugglers Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

Valencia were in a rich vein of form with six league wins from seven in 2011 but were out of sorts at the Mestalla stadium as they failed to score in the league for the first time since early December.

Valencia stay third but fourth-placed Villarreal can move level on points with a home victory over bottom side Malaga on Sunday.

Valencia's midfielder Joaquin Sanchez (L) jumps for the ball with Sporting Gijon's midfielder Diego Castro (R) during the Spanish league football match at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

For Sporting, who drew 1-1 with Barcelona last time out, it was a valuable point and they move two points above the relegation zone.

Valencia, who drew 1-1 with Schalke in their Champions League last 16 first leg match in midweek, looked slightly jaded and Sporting almost won the game in the final seconds with Mate Bilic inches away from connecting with a cross from the left.

In other matches, Atletico Madrid ended a run of four consecutive defeats with a 1-0 win at Real Zaragoza on Saturday to move four points off the top six.

Argentine international forward Sergio "Kun" Aguero scored the winning goal on 65 minutes to relieve the mounting pressure on coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Zaragoza, who hit the woodwork twice in the closing minutes, hover one point above the bottom three after their 11th defeat of the season.

By Asianbookie