Leicester City's substitute goalkeeper Pegguy Arphexad saved penalties from Lee Dixon and fellow-Frenchman Gilles Grimandi as the never-say-die Foxes ended Arsenal's FA Cup dreams with another shoot-out triumph at Filbert Street.
Arphexad, the former Lens stopper, became the hero after replacing injured Tim
Flowers at the start of the second period of extra time.
Arsenal appeared to have this fourth round replay at their mercy but wasted a
bagful of scoring chances in the normal 90 minutes.
Arphexad was beaten from the spot by Davor Suker, Stephen Hughes, Ray Parlour
and Thierry Henry, while England's David Seaman stopped Stefan Oakes' effort.
But Arphexad blocked stand-in Arsenal skipper Dixon's attempt and then
clinched victory by clawing away Grimandi's penalty after Arnar Gunnlaugsson,
Robbie Savage, Graham Fenton and Matt Elliott had all been on target for
Leicester.
It was the third penalty shoot-out Leicester have won in the last five weeks,
beating Leeds and Fulham in the Worthington Cup.
In fact only non-League Hereford United are the only side they have beaten
without one in their last 12 games - and that also required extra time.
But it was more spot-kick agony for Arsenal who also went out of the
Worthington Cup against Middlesbrough by the same method.
And ahead of their titanic Premiership collision with Manchester United at Old
Trafford next Monday, they had more than enough opportunities to settle this
replay - and earn a fifth round clash at Chelsea - well before the dramatic
sudden-death finale.
Leicester had started much the brighter and had the better of the opening 20
minutes in normal time as Arsenal struggled to find any cohesion.
Steve Guppy, back on left-flank patrol after nearly six weeks out, slipped
Darren Eadie through down the channel in the opening seconds only for
Leicester's £3million signing - sent off in the first tie at Highbury - to waste
a promising position with a poor cross.
Then an Eadie volley was deflected for a corner before the former Norwich
flier nipped in behind Arsenal's flat-footed defenders onto a clever angled pass
by Theo Zagorakis but put a disappointing shot beyond the far post.
It was 20 minutes before Arsenal, with the famous Petit-Vieira tandem looking
more like a rusty bike, got going.
The pair finally combined to good effect in the 21st minute, a link finishing
with Vieira drilling a low shot into Flowers' grasp - Arsenal's only on-target
effort before the break.
Suker, banned for Monday's Premiership showdown with Manchester United, risked
another booking at least with a stray arm catching Taggart in an aerial duel and
when he complained about the free kick referee Mike Riley, who showed 10 yellow
cards and sent off Eadie at Highbury 11 days ago, amazingly still kept his book
in his pocket.
Savage, jeered throughout by the travelling Arsenal fans after his horror
tackle on Kanu at Highbury, made an effective right back for Leicester and
embarrassed Henry with a smart dummy that left the striker on his back-side.
It summed up an ineffective first half for Arsenal's front men although they
were beginning to show a little more menace just before the break.
The Gunners started to dominate proceedings early in the second half even
though Keown had to resort to some rugged gymnastics to keep Heskey in check.
Suker had the ideal opportunity to give Arsenal a 56th-minute lead when
Parlour's right wing cross was deflected to him just eight yards out but scuffed
the chance wide.
Savage blocked a Stefan Malz drive and when Flowers made a marvellous save to
turn Keown's ferocious volley over the top in the 70th minute, Leicester looked
to be living on borrowed time.
But then Suker passed up the biggest gift of all in the 78th minute, lofting
his shot embarrassingly high over the bar from inside the six yard box after
Phil Gilchrist failed to clear substitute Stephen Hughes' cross.
And the Croat just did not know what he had to do to score when, within the
next five minutes, Flowers turned his rocket shot over the bar and then Savage
headed a similar effort off the line and over.
Leicester were left hanging on for extra time as Arsenal ripped into them.
Martin O'Neill's men survived 11 Arsenal corners in the second 45 minutes
alone and it was an accurate reflection of the pressure.
But although the Londoners still dictated matters in the first half of extra
time it was only Seaman's athletic tip-over save which prevented Heskey settling
it with a cracking drive after Elliott, having been pushed up front alongside
him, played in a glorious pass.
Flowers, just back after a knee injury, was clearly in distress just before
the end of the first extra period and Arphexad had to replace him.
The substitute keeper was almost immediately called into action, taking the
ball bravely off Henry's foot as the striker burst into the box but with a poor
first touch to Petit's visionary pass.
And although he also clung onto drives by Petit and Hughes that was the last
real chance of avoiding the spot-kick lottery in which Leicester have become so
adept at picking the winning ticket.
Teams:
Leicester: Flowers (Arphexad 105), Taggart, Gilchrist, Elliott,
Guppy (Fenton 71), Gunnlaugsson, Savage, Oakes, Zagorakis,
Heskey, Eadie (Campbell 85).
Subs Not Used: Goodwin, Jordan.
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Silvinho, Grimandi, Vieira,
Parlour, Petit, Malz (Hughes 68), Suker, Henry.
Subs Not Used: Winterburn, Manninger, Luzhny, Barrett.
Booked: Malz.
Leicester win 6-5 on penalties
Att: 15,235
Ref: M Riley (Leeds).
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