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Misery for Wenger, Relief for Van Gaal in Cup Dramas

Watford’s brilliant 2-1 victory at Emirates Stadium has ended Arsenal’s two-year reign of the FA Cup. Odion Ighalo broke his recent goal drought to put the visitors in the lead, before a stunning strike from Adlene Guedioura – a surprise addition to the squad for the tie – doubled the Hornets’ lead.

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For Wenger, though, it could prove a very hard few weeks if Arsenal, as expected, go out of the Champions League to Barcelona this week and fail to launch a convincing late charge at the Premier League title.

David Beckham has defended Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after fans called on the Frenchman to leave his job. Back-fours like that don’t come around too often and it will go down as one of the best defences of all time in Football League history.

“We have come to the end of a very, very long run in the FA Cup, so it is very sad, but we want now to focus on the next game”, Wenger said.

“You are always in the middle of a drama”, he told reporters on Sunday. It is becoming a farce.

Take a look at six players the Gunners could offload at the end of the season by viewing the slideshow above.

Although the Watford striker limped off during the course of the game due to muscle injury, he dismissed reports that the injury is a serious one and that he needs a couple of days to shake it off ahead of the Super Eagles qualifiers against the Pharoahs of Egypt.

Indeed, there are indications that Wenger is planning for a future at Arsenal beyond next season. We play in a confident way, we maybe lack that bit at the end. We had enough technical superiority to win the game and to score goals.

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The last four won’t be completed for a few weeks, after Anthony Martial grabbed an 83rd-minute equalizer for Manchester United in a 1-1 draw against West Ham. “This is the kind of contact we see each week, it is nothing special”. “Now it is a new Wembley, I’ve just arrived in England, and to get there is exciting. It looks like we play, and play and play until the opposing team scores”, said Mertesacker.

Scotland's Stuart Hogg left is tackled by France's Francois Trinh-Duc right and Maxime Mermoz during their Six Nations rugby union international match at Murrayfield stadium Edinburgh Scotland Sunday