Outplayed, outclassed and out of the cup
Cardiff failed to turn up for the FA Cup 4th round replay leaving Arsenal in total control.
On this performance Arsenal would compete with anyone while Cardiff would have struggled against a parks team.
If there was one game though that we'd accept a blip then it as this one. We were never likely to win and if we can put this behind us and get back to normal league service this weekend at Wolves then this result will be soon forgotten.
I appreciate we won't face a team in such form every week in the Premier league but it does give a clue that we need to improve if we do go up.
Eduardo returned from injury to score twice, one in either half, the second a penalty. Bendtner headed Arsenal's 2nd and sub van Persie rounded off the game in the last minute.
Tom Heaton helped keep the score in single figures. Arsenal out-shot City by 23 efforts to 4. The woodwork helped a couple of times as well.
City's best two efforts came from a Ross McCormack free kick that was deflected over and a Bothroyd shot from distance that warmed Fabianski's palms.
The fact that they can bring off Eduardo and bring on van Persie tells you just how good Arsenal are. Aaron Ramsey came on as well.
City's best chance in this fixture came and went at Ninian Park. Still at least it was Arsenal that played in City's last ever FA Cup game at Ninian Park, and we didn't lose it. Fitting to be against the team we beat to win the cup in 1927 and fitting that we were the last side ever to play Arsenal in the FA Cup at Highbury.
7,000 Cardiff fans contributed towards the 57,000 crowd and made a decent noise. There were some though unable to handle themselves on the big occasion and while we have such idiots we'll always attract heavy policing at away games. These people are not your out and out hooligans. Just a bunch of mostly drunken anti-social yobs.
All in all a poor night in a nice stadium. Good luck to Arsenal who will now fancy their chances of going all the way.
On this performance Arsenal would compete with anyone while Cardiff would have struggled against a parks team.
If there was one game though that we'd accept a blip then it as this one. We were never likely to win and if we can put this behind us and get back to normal league service this weekend at Wolves then this result will be soon forgotten.
I appreciate we won't face a team in such form every week in the Premier league but it does give a clue that we need to improve if we do go up.
Eduardo returned from injury to score twice, one in either half, the second a penalty. Bendtner headed Arsenal's 2nd and sub van Persie rounded off the game in the last minute.
Tom Heaton helped keep the score in single figures. Arsenal out-shot City by 23 efforts to 4. The woodwork helped a couple of times as well.
City's best two efforts came from a Ross McCormack free kick that was deflected over and a Bothroyd shot from distance that warmed Fabianski's palms.
The fact that they can bring off Eduardo and bring on van Persie tells you just how good Arsenal are. Aaron Ramsey came on as well.
City's best chance in this fixture came and went at Ninian Park. Still at least it was Arsenal that played in City's last ever FA Cup game at Ninian Park, and we didn't lose it. Fitting to be against the team we beat to win the cup in 1927 and fitting that we were the last side ever to play Arsenal in the FA Cup at Highbury.
7,000 Cardiff fans contributed towards the 57,000 crowd and made a decent noise. There were some though unable to handle themselves on the big occasion and while we have such idiots we'll always attract heavy policing at away games. These people are not your out and out hooligans. Just a bunch of mostly drunken anti-social yobs.
All in all a poor night in a nice stadium. Good luck to Arsenal who will now fancy their chances of going all the way.