After flop, Arsenal eyes recovery

By ROB HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:09 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2012

LONDON (AP) -Arsenal's implosion at AC Milan has left the FA Cup as the club's only realistic route to a trophy after seven demoralizing years without silverware.

And if the season is still to end in glory at Wembley, the Gunners don't have much time to recover from their heaviest-ever European loss, a 4-0 rout at the San Siro in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Arsenal, which is clinging on to fourth in the Premier League, is at Sunderland on Saturday in the fifth round of the FA Cup, which Arsene Wenger's side won in 2005.

"The season is not finished," Wenger said. "We have a big game on Saturday and it is a good opportunity to show we have character and mental strength, that we can respond after such a shocking defeat. You could blame and blame, but we have to stick together and win the next game. A big disappointment like that has consequences on your belief.

"We have a lot of work to regroup and not a lot of time to prepare for Saturday's game, when we need to show something completely different."

Even Thierry Henry in his last game before returning to the New York Red Bulls could not inspire Arsenal against Milan. The Premier League side struggled to keep hold of the ball to play its fluid brand of attacking football.

"It was a shocking result and a shocking performance. It was of those nights you never forget," Wenger said. "There was not one moment in the 90 minutes we were really in the game, and it was always the same problem, balls over the top and we were well beaten."

Arsenal is 17 points behind leader Manchester City in the Premier League and only ahead of Chelsea for the last Champions League spot on goal difference.

The FA Cup has also taken on renewed importance for Chelsea and Liverpool, who are out of the Premier League title race and both face League Championship sides this weekend.

Chelsea hosts Birmingham on Saturday with pressure mounting on manager Andre Villas-Boas after just one win in five matches, prompting a reported showdown with his players on Sunday.

"There were not strong words, basically there was a meeting, but it was nothing dramatic," he said. "We all understand we need to do more, our run of results hasn't been impressive but the responsibility is shared. If you're able to gain strength you can go on a good run but we need actions more than anything.

"I think in the end, there are always positives to take out from meetings, everybody wants to be involved, you have to go face-to-face."

Unlike Arsenal, Chelsea still has a realistic chance of advancing in the Champions League with the first leg of its last-16 match at Napoli not until Tuesday.

"We are trying hard, but the fans deserve a reaction, when you have negative moments you expect a reaction," Villas-Boas said. "We need to give fans something to cheer about, it just hasn't been happening for us."

Liverpool hosts Brighton on Sunday after eliminating Manchester United in the fourth round.

Morale is low at Anfield after losing to United in the Premier League on Saturday in an ill-tempered match that left Kenny Dalglish's side seventh. The club was also widely criticized for its initial backing of Luis Suarez over a race row, before a series of apologies.

With a League Cup final against Cardiff looming at the end of February, advancing to the FA Cup quarterfinals could provide the perfect fillip after the wave of negative publicity surrounding Liverpool.

"We are Liverpool Football Club and we have to show our crowd what we are made of and put on a good display for our fans," defender Martin Kelly said.

With Manchester rivals City and United out of the FA Cup, the highest-place Premier League side remaining in the competition is third-place Tottenham.

Having overcome Cheltenham and Watford, Harry Redknapp's side has avoided topflight opponents again, with a trip north of London to third-tier side Stevenage on Sunday.

Also Sunday, Stoke hosts Crawley, while Saturday's other fixtures see Everton taking on Blackpool, Bolton at Millwall and Norwich facing Leicester.

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Rob Harris can be reached at www.twitter.com/RobHarrisUK

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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