Manchester City 1 - 2 Arsenal

Man City 1-2 Arsenal: Kids win it

Updated: October 27, 2004, 5:09 PM ET

Arsene Wenger celebrated confirmation of his new contract by watching his Arsenal stars of the future dump Manchester City out of the Carling Cup at a half-full Eastlands.

• Wenger's delight at bright future

Wenger's new deal commits him to Highbury, and then Ashburton Grove, until 2008. By that time some of the youngsters on show tonight should be leading the Gunners into battle and in match-winner Robin van Persie and 17-year-old Italian Arturo Lupoli, the future looks in safe hands.

Although the first three-quarters of the contest were largely forgettable, Lupoli gradually got into his stride and while 21-year-old Van Persie took time to show exactly why Wenger compares him to Dennis Bergkamp, he eventually managed it.

It was Lupoli, who like Van Persie was making his first senior start, who set the young Dutchman up for the Gunners' opener 13 minutes from time, Van Persie sweeping home a first-time shot from a similar position to the one he had missed woefully from earlier in the game.

Victory already seemed assured before a frantic period of stoppage time saw Daniel Karbassiyoon add a second and Robbie Fowler pull one back, although with no time to re-start the game, Arsenal's place in the last 16 was never under threat.

It was almost half an hour before either side had a shot, a long-range effort for Shaun Wright-Phillips that Manuel Almunia, one of four debutants in the visitors' line-up, collected at the second attempt.

Along with Willo Flood, Wright-Phillips was one of the two players on view who actually looked capable of lifting the game above the level of mediocre.

Both players looked comfortable with the ball at their feet and were willing to take on their markers. However, while Flood continually failed to execute the final ball, Wright-Phillips, pushed into a striker's role alongside Fowler, prodded and probed without getting the reward he deserved.

It was Antoine Sibierski though who provided the cushioned header from Danny Mills' free-kick that set up Fowler a minute later.

Unfortunately for Fowler, he provided a cameo of the latter stages of his career, intelligently giving Seb Larsson the slip to stride into the box unopposed, then sending a half-volley bouncing harmlessly wide.

Arsenal, who had spent most of the opening period attempting to emulate Wenger's first choice side with a slick passing game without any success, briefly came to life as Lupoli advanced to the edge of the home box without being confronted by a single City defender.

Eventually, Sylvain Distin did close him down, although the Frenchman was thankful the ball looped wide instead of over Waterreus' head and into the net as it might have done when Lupoli cannoned his shot straight at him.

City managed to carve out one more chance before the opening period was brought to a merciful conclusion, Sibierski getting between Arsenal defenders to force Almunia into the best save of the opening period by getting a firm header to Sinclair's cross.

On the basis that it could not be much worse, the second half was better - but only just.

Yet again, both teams were largely consigned to speculative shots, with Wright-Phillips testing Almunia from long range, while Jermaine Pennant blazed wide at the other end after skipping past Ben Thatcher.

Van Persie's rushed attempt to convert Quincy Owusu-Abeyie's cut-back raised serious question marks over the Bergkamp comparison as his shot flew way over the bar.

The Dutchman is clearly a quick learner though and after harshly being adjudged to have handled before delivering a cross-shot that Lupoli turned home after Waterreus had failed to collect cleanly, he made his decisive contribution.

A pulsating period of injury time was at odds with the remainder of the match and not even Fowler's second goal in as many games was enough to cheer the home fans, many of whom had left long before it came.

Wenger's delight at bright future

Arsenal arrived at Eastlands to be greeted by a note declaring 'no pizza or soup' on their dressing room door following events at Old Trafford on Sunday, but it was the Gunners who had the last laugh as they sent Manchester City spinning to a Carling Cup defeat Kevin Keegan labelled an embarrassment.

'We are serious people but we have a sense of humour as well, so yes, we found the note very funny,' said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

'I seem to have a big problem convincing people nothing happened in the tunnel at Old Trafford on Sunday,' he added.

'News travels very quickly in England, even if it is wrong. I guess the system works quite well.'

Wenger confirmed that Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein had met Manchester United chief executive David Gill earlier in the day and discussed the post-match fracas, although he insisted there was no need to tell his team to calm down.

With the `Battle of Old Trafford II' dealt with, Wenger was able to reflect on a day which confirmed Arsenal's immediate future is in the safest of hands.

The Frenchman has now extended his contract to 2008 and the players who will be in the Gunners' line-up in four years' time proved how promising they are by eliminating a City side containing seven first-team regulars.

'Apart from two players, we played an under-21 team here tonight and I am very proud of them,' he said. 'We have worked hard on the academy over the last five years and we are starting to see the benefit of that now.

'I am convinced this club has a bright future and the next generation is looking very good indeed.'

One of the brightest prospects of all, 21-year-old Dutchman Robin van Persie, put the Gunners in front 13 minutes from time, rounding off a flowing move with an excellent finish.

Other than his goal, Van Persie didn't have the best of evenings but the former Feyenoord man clearly has talent, as has 17-year-old Italian forward Arturo Lupoli who led the Gunners' line well and gradually came into his own as the match went on.

Cesc Fabregas also improved after a slow start and it was his excellent pass that set up substitute Daniel Karbassiyoon for Arsenal's stoppage-time second.

In stark contrast to their opponents, City gradually faded as the game wore on. Willo Flood excelled down the right flank during the opening period without quite being able to find the final ball, while Shaun Wright-Phillips also dazzled at times.

Neither man looked as convincing after the break and though Robbie Fowler did eventually pull one back, there was no time left to even attempt to force an unlikely equaliser.

'I am very, very disappointed,' said Keegan. 'We asked a few of the senior professionals to help the young players out tonight but in the end it was the kids helping them out - it was just a bad night.

'Everyone talks about the kids they have got but they were almost drawing confidence on the the back of us because so we were so inept.

'There were some very disappointing performances there from players in City shirts.

'We are struggling to find too many players who played at a level that is acceptable.

'I know we were playing Arsenal but we were not playing the Arsenal we played three weeks ago. I'm very disappointed tonight.

'We will go back to the drawing board. We have got to pick them up when they stop believing in themselves.

'We will pick out the bad points and come out fighting against Norwich on Monday.'