ARSENAL 4-0 COVENTRY CITY
City: Murphy, Christie, Webster, Seaborne, Adams, Baker, Thomas, Fleck, Daniels, Moussa (J.Clarke 89), L. Clarke. Subs: Burge, Willis, Haynes, Phillips, Barton, Slager.
Arsenal: Fabianski; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Zelalem 71) Wilshere; Gnabry, Ozil, Podolski (Giroud 78), Bendtner.(Cazorla 71). Subs: Viviano, Sagna, Monreal, Flamini.
HT AFC 2-0 CCFC FT AFC 4-0. CCFC
ATT 59 451
Goals Lucas Podolski 14 & 26, Oliver Giroud 84 Santi Carzola 89
Referee Robbie Madley
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Coventry City can hold their heads up high after giving a good account of themselves in a 4-0 defeat at Arsenal.
A tie that captured the imagination of 5,186 Coventry City supporters plus a few in the home ends and the corporate sections as well as those watching on BT Sport, internet streams or listening on the radio, saw the Sky Blues arrive at Arsenal by way of wins at AFC Wimbledon, Hartlepool United in a replay and Barnsley for an FA Cup Fourth Round match.
The atmosphere created by the City support was good as City, who have only lost three out of their last eight cup games against higher league opposition, in their yellow away kit, took to the field in the best new stadium in the country in recent times.
Coventry, who have only lost an FA Cup tie since 1931 in London whilst they have not been a top flight team, against this strong Arsenal side were straight under the cosh in the pouring rain, conceding three corners and a couple of wayward shots inside the opening twelve inutes.
The Sky Blues were losing the ball too easily and in the fourteenth minute, a ball over and Lucas Podolski jinked his marker to score.
Heads did not drop as City fans are used to the Sky Blues going a goal down and the City support were thought Baker was going to score when Fabianski pushed a great shot from the City captain three minutes after the goal.
Two more corners for the Gunners followed before a third was taken by Gnarby and met by Lucas Podolski at the far post with a 26th minute header.
Five minutes later and the publicised protest by the City support took place with cards being held up asking "Why", something which brought rounds of the applause from the Arsenal fans, who had not filled all their seats by any stretch of the imagination
Jack Wilshere being booked for a foul and some of the floodlights going out prompting a chorus of "We'll Score In The Dark" from the City fans and Arsenal fans getting their phones out was the only thing of note as the half ended.
There were no changes to either side for the start of a second half which saw City attacking the Clock End.
City came out with nothing to lose and were given a corner thanks to some generous keeping from Fabianski who made amends by catching Baker's flag kick and then using his feet to block a Leon Clarke shot.
In weather worse than the pies on the Clock End concourse, which had given a best mate food poisoning, something which understandably was diverting my attention away from matters on the pitch, Franck Moussa played a ball inside and Leon Clarke stroked Fabianski's left hand post.
As there was a protest in the 61st minute with a chorus of the "Sky Blue Song", Billy Daniels sent a twenty yarder over the bar.
The protests, which left those watching in no doubt that we want Coventry City back playing in Coventry, continued with a 63rd minute pitch invader. The City players, led by Carl Baker, were straight over and helped to escort the white t-shirted City supporter off the pitch who did nothing other than stand close to the halfway line and applaud the Arsenal and City fans. Both sets of supporters responded with applause before the male in his fifties was was man-handled away to the cells in the corner of the corner. as City mounted a 67th minute attack that saw Blair Adams curl not too far wide.
City kept battling away against an Arsenal side which made three changes and although they could not get the goal the support wanted, they had a good go despite Giroud nipping in to score a third in the 84th minute from seven yards and a fourth from Santi Carzola, who volleyed down into the net from eight yards, five minutes later.
Leon Clarke probably should have done better with a stoppage time shot at Fabianski as a night when the City players and supporters can be proud of their efforts against a side full of top players and some fifty odd places above them, came to an end.