For the second year in succession, Simon Grayson's braves proved they can live with the very best. The only disappointment this time, in the wake of last season's FA Cup third round upset of Manchester United at Old Trafford, was that they fell agonisingly short of another prized scalp at the very death.
Having survived the first-half, they struck a stunning blow from the penalty spot through Robert Snodgrass after 54 minutes and, all of a sudden, you got the feeling lightning was set to strike twice. In a sight for sore Leeds eyes, United held the upper hand for the majority of the second period. "One Simon Grayson," chorused the travelling hordes. It was a beautiful moment for the young manager.
But Arsenal found a way to drag themselves level and force a replay at what will be a sold out and buzzing Elland Road. They thought they had been granted a penalty when the substitute Theo Walcott tumbled theatrically over Alex Bruce's challenge. The referee Phil Dowd appeared to point to the spot, only to change his mind. But he was compelled to award Arsenal a penalty shortly afterwards when Ben Parker foolishly tugged at Walcott's shirt. Another marquee substitute, Cesc Fábregas, took the kick and finally caused Leeds's shoulders to sag.
Arsenal might have won the game during what must have seemed like a never-ending spell of injury time to Grayson. Nicklas Bendtner, Denílson and Walcott all went close, Denílson's powerful shot fully extending the excellent Kasper Schmeichel.
But defeat would have been cruel on the visitors. The replay will now offer them another chance to showcase their Premier League credentials.
Grayson had described Arsenal as the "best team in the world" on the eve of the tie, yet Leeds have that inimitable west Yorkshire swagger and they fear nobody, particularly not opponents who showed so many changes from their previous fixture, against Manchester City.
Wenger has deep-rooted faith in every member of his squad and he likes to offer the impression that he has no strongest XI, merely interchangeable cogs in a machine. Yet the reality is, when you rotate nine players the engine will not purr immediately.
There was no question of Leeds parking the bus here in north London. Grayson believes his team "can hurt anybody we play against" and, if they were to go down, he had pledged to do so "fighting". The 8,500 travelling supporters would have accepted nothing less. In the corporate paradise that is the Emirates, their songs filled the air and made their team feel at home.
Arsenal had overwhelmed Manchester City in the first 25 minutes on Wednesday, only to fail to score, but Leeds restricted them to only one clear-cut chance in the tone-setting early running. Tomas Rosicky sent Andrey Arshavin scampering clean through, but the Russian's first touch was poor, his second even poorer and Schmeichel was allowed to make a regulation block.
Leeds flickered when Luciano Becchio almost bustled onto Snodgrass's throughball – Wojciech Szczesny got there first – but Arsène Wenger's team gradually eased onto the front foot. Leeds were required to show resilience.
Their most heart-stopping moment of the first half came when Arsenal worked a clever corner routine and Sébastien Squillaci watched his effort cleared off the line by Jonathan Howson, with Schmeichel beaten. Squillaci's follow-up was repelled by Becchio. Schmeichel was busy and he showed some neat handling to keep the half-time scoreline blank.
The equation for Arsenal was simple and familiar: to translate their ascendancy and general superiority into the break-through goal. Yet dramatically, and out of nothing, Leeds pipped them to it. Max Gradel checked inside the penalty area and he was confronted by Denílson's clumsily outstretched leg. Down went the Leeds winger and there were no Arsenal complaints when Dowd, almost apologetically, pointed to the spot. Snodgrass squeezed his kick underneath Szczesny's left arm to spark wild scenes at the stadium's clock end.
Wenger sent on Fábregas and Walcott but, rather abruptly, the tide had turned. Leeds visibly grew and the next goal ought to have been theirs. Becchio flashed in a firm header from a left-wing corner and Szczesny shot out a hand to save instinctively and spectacularly.
Shortly afterwards, Snodgrass's 25-yard free-kick was just the wrong side of the far post, with Szczesny wrong-footed.
Hesitancy gripped Arsenal and frustration did likewise to their supporters. Arshavin became their target as he endured one of those days. But at the very end, after Bendtner had headed wastefully over the crossbar, Arsenal hauled themselves up off the canvas.
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 8 Jan 11
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