Victory was Arsenal’s but in some way the night belonged to Coventry. In front of a visiting crowd that voiced their hopes for a brighter future, Steven Pressley’s team demonstrated enough attacking vigour and ambition to prove they are worthy of a proper home from which to build. Coventry’s spirit graced the evening, but Arsenal’s moments of class ensured safe passage to the FA Cup fifth round. Two first half goals from Lukas Podolski more or less settled the matter, and a pair of late strikes from the substitutes Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla added gloss. In between, though, Coventry were eye catching.

Arsenal were keen to avoid any repeat of the shambolic FA Cup exit against Blackburn Rovers last season. Coventry are 54 places beneath the Premier League leaders in the English game’s pyramid, and Arsène Wenger selected a line-up that was powerful enough, and motivated enough, to exert control.

The main points of interest were the return of three players who had been dogged by injury in the first half of the campaign, and need to make up for lost time by imposing themselves on this season of opportunity. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made his first start since the opening day of the season – in the central midfield position Wenger thinks is his best. Further forward, Nicklas Bendtner was handed a chance to give Wenger an excuse to lament the difficulties of the January transfer window, and Podolski served up a reminder of his own ruthless finishing.

Having reached the 15 minute mark scoreless, the Coventry contingent in the Clock End began to olé as their defenders cooly passed the ball among themselves, briefly the picture of composure.

Arsenal responded to this apparent impudence with a deadly break. Mesut Özil clipped a disguised pass to the galloping Podolski. The German attacker glided past Coventry’s goalkeeper, Joe Murphy, to steer in the opening goal from a narrow angle.

That in turn inspired Coventry to show their worth. With a virtuoso moment the excellent Carl Baker crowned a delicate dance into the danger zone with a rasping shot. Lukas Fabianski tipped over.

A goal made in Germany in the 27th minute squashed faint hopes of a surprise. Serge Gnabry’s inviting corner was glanced onwards by Per Mertesacker, and Podolski nudged in his second. The opportunity for a first half hat-trick came his way towards the end of the half but his right foot proved less efficient as he lifted a shot over the bar.

Challenging as it is for the FA Cup to cling to old fashioned romantic ideals, a moment to stir the soul came off the pitch rather than on it. A televised game gave the visitors from Coventry the opportunity to publicise their plight. They came with armfuls of printed protest notes about their ordeal, exiled from the Ricoh Arena in their heartland. “Keep Cov in Cov” is the slogan, and fans held aloft their banners in the 35th minute – symbolic of the 35 miles they have to travel out of the city to play home games in Northampton – and again in the 61st minute, to mark the year that Jimmy Hill became manager. In a show of solidarity, the Coventry faithful were given a standing ovation by the Arsenal support.

The crowd also made their presence felt when a section of the floodlights failed – thousands of camera phones, flashes flaring, were helpfully pointed at the pitch.

Early in the second half the spotlight homed in on Leon Clarke, freed by a delightful threaded pass from Baker. He zoomed goalwards, only to see his angled shot deflected by Fabianski’s legs.

Clarke went closer still with a venomous effort which beat Fabiaski but rattled against a post. Suddenly Coventry found drive and ambition to cause the Premier League pace-setters genuine concern. They tore into attacking positions. Billy Daniels also found himself on the end of a promising move, but an attack of the yips took hold and he slashed at the chance.

Arsenal realised they would be foolish to be too casual, and built up a presentable chance for the enigmatic Bendtner. But this was one of those days when he inspired more guffaws than applause.

His reliability as the main back-up to Arsenal’s centre-forward position remains a key issue, and Giroud came on as a late substitute to crack in the third goal of the night when he latched on to Kieran Gibbs’s cut back.

Cazorla got in on the act with a volley to turn the scoreline into a harsh one for Pressley to stomach. Two days short of his 17th birthday, Gedion Zelalem, a prospect whose name is uttered with considerable excitement around the club, made his Arsenal debut. He is the first player to come into the first team who was born after Wenger became the club’s manager.

• FA Cup
• Arsenal
• Coventry City

Amy Lawrence

theguardian.com