Arsenal's ambitions to achieve the double remain on course after winning a
tense FA Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough, but the victory came at some
cost.
Sol Campbell's injury may affect the destiny of both Cup and Barclaycard
Premiership, not to mention England, and the watching Sven-Goran Eriksson must
have been wincing as Ugo Ehiogu's hamstring strain made it two international
centre-backs out of the squad to play Paraguay on Wednesday.
As far as the World Cup is concerned, only time will tell, but in the final
reckoning of this game at Old Trafford, Ehiogu's mishap proved the more damaging
to his side.
It was his replacement, Gianluca Festa, who put through his own net for the
decisive blow in the first half and Middlesbrough never recovered.
Even with Campbell's premature departure, this should have been a stroll for
Arsenal.
Hampered by suspension to Paul Ince, several injuries and with Benito Carbone
being cup-tied, Boro's midfield was made up of virtual unknowns.
Far from being overawed though, Middlesbrough got stuck in and provided the
Gunners with some prickly opposition before eventually surrendering to Arsenal's
undoubted superiority.
Dean Windass' take-no-prisoners challenge on Patrick Vieira in the second
minute brought to mind Vinnie Jones making his mark on Steve McMahon in the 1988
cup final.
Jones won that particular battle but Vieira was not put off his stride in this
contest.
The Frenchman dusted himself down and proceed to command the midfield until he
took Campbell's place at centre-back early in the second half - a role he filled
with no less authority.
The outcome might have been different, or at least less predictable, if
Windass' fiercely-struck shot from the right hand corner of the area had not
been parried by Richard Wright, or had Luke Wilkshire found the net instead of
the sidenetting when the ball ran to him 12 yards out.
As it was, Arsenal slowly but surely exerted the pressure until Middlesbrough
cracked.
A head of steam built up. Sylvain Wiltord fired across goal, Mark Schwarzer
held Dennis Bergkamp's strike from 20 yards and Thierry Henry's extravagant
backheel drifted the wrong side of the upright.
The turning point came when Ehiogu stretched to tackle Henry and pulled his
hamstring in doing so.
Around the same time Oleg Luznhy was also injured, so Festa came on for Ehiogu
and Lee Dixon replaced Luzhny.
The change did not weaken Arsenal - some might say it strengthened the line-up
- but it was bad news for Steve McClaren's Boro.
In the 39th minute, seven minutes after coming on, Festa stuck out his leg to
clear Henry's corner and the ball flew past Schwarzer.
It was the first goal Boro had conceded in their FA Cup campaign, and suddenly
their uphill task looked mountainous.
It almost became Himalayan as Henry and Fredrik Ljungberg set up Bergkamp who
rifled a shot narrowly over.
Wiltord wasted a gift of a chance 10 minutes into the second half when Franck
Queudrue attempted to control Henry's cross on his chest, but managed only to
present the ball on a plate to his compatriot.
Wiltord, though, snatched at it and blasted over.
Then came the moment which may have wider implications than this game.
Campbell went down holding his right leg, though no challenge was evident, and
left the field on a stretcher.
With Arsenal having run out of defenders Vieira went into central defence and
Boro embarked on a period of domination.
Windass had a header from a corner cleared off line by Dixon, then Ray
Parlour, Campbell's replacement, burst clear and fed Henry for what should have
been the decider.
But for once he miscontrolled and the chance was gone.
Wright saved from Windass again, before the England keeper prevented Boksic
from equalising.
Dixon's loose header saw Boksic play in Allan Johnston and though the Croatian
reached the return cross at the far post his header was too weak to trouble
Wright.
Gradually Arsenal wrested control back, with Wiltord proving a menace down the
right.
Henry headed over then Robbie Mustoe flashed Boro's last chance well wide.
Arsenal could celebrate another trip to Cardiff - though with Campbell's
injury those celebrations would undoubtedly be muted.
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