Eduardo on target as Gunners destroy Bluebirds
Eduardo scored twice on his return to the Arsenal first-team
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Monday, 16, Feb 2009 10:15
Eduardo da Silva scored twice on his return to the Arsenal first team as they ran out comfortable 4-0 winners over Cardiff City in the FA Cup fourth-round replay at the Emirates.
The Croatian international, making his first start almost a year to the day after he suffered a horrific injury at Birmingham, opened the scoring in the 21st minute when he placed a fine header past Tom Heaton in the Cardiff goal from a Carlos Vela cross.
The goal came after a period of intense pressure which would have seen Arsenal wrap the game up had it not bean for the performance of goalkeeper Heaton, who is on a season-long loan from Manchester United.
Nicklas Bendtner nearly opened the scoring in the fifth-minute but his header from a Bacary Sagna cross drifted wide.
A minute later Vela’s shot from distance was spilled by Heaton who made amends with a fine stop from Bendtner’s rebound.
Heaton could do nothing to stop Eduardo, however, as last year’s beaten finalists were struggling to keep up with their Premier League opponents.
They doubled their lead in the 34th minute when Bendtner met a Samir Nasri corner and placed a firm header into the corner of the net.
It should have been all over by the interval but Bendtner was guilty of one of the misses of the season when he could hit the post after Heaton had saved from Vela, and once-again found Heaton in his way when the ball bounced back off the upright.
The second-period was a tamer affair with Cardiff determined not to let their hosts run up a cricket score.
The third came when Gavin Rae fouled Eduardo in the box and the Croatian dusted himself off to send Heaton the wrong way from the spot.
Eduardo was withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining to a standing ovation and Arsenal got their fourth when Bendtner played in substitute Robin van Persie who fired a right-footed shot under Heaton.
Arsenal will now play Burnley in their re-arranged fifth-round tie.