Neues » have come within 10 yards

LONDON -- Arsenal avoided FA Cup embarrassment against second-tier club Wigan on Saturday, coming from behind against the holder and winning a penalty shootout to reach the final where the London club will be looking to end a nine-year trophy drought. Wholesale Jordan Black Friday . After extra time ended 1-1, Arsenals players scored all of their penalties and Lukasz Fabianski made two vital saves in a 4-2 shootout victory over Wigan in this meeting of the fifth-place teams in the Premier League and League Championship. Wigan went in front in regular time from the penalty spot at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker conceded the spot kick that Jordi Gomez converted but the German made amends by heading in the equalizer that sent the game into extra time. "In the first half we were a bit timid," Mertesacker said. "A lot of people questioned (our character) recently but how we came back today we proved a lot." A year after winning its first major trophy by beating Manchester City and then again in this years semifinals, Wigan couldnt produce another upset against a Premier League power -- much to Arsene Wengers relief. "It was important mentally," the Arsenal manger said. "If you imagine the consequences of going out tonight, it would have been quite worrying." With the second half of his 18-year reign defined by the lack of silverware, Wenger desperately needs to collect a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup success when Arsenal returns to Wembley for the final. Arsenal will discover on Sunday whether it will face Premier League side Hull or third-tier club Sheffield United on May 17. It could be a bittersweet end to the season, though, with Arsenal at risk of missing out on the Champions League after 16 successive years. Just before kickoff at Wembley, Arsenal was dislodged from the fourth Champions League place by Everton, which beat Sunderland 1-0. What a slump it has been for Wengers side, having spent so much of the opening months of the season on top of the league. The failure to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window has come back to bite Wenger. How differently things could have turned out if he had brought in an additional striker. Instead, Wenger on Saturday was relying for goals on 21-year-old striker Yaya Sanogo, who was starting just his fourth game since joining on a free transfer before this season. Olivier Giroud was on the bench. Sanogos lack of cutting edge and pace in front of goal quickly became apparent. The Frenchman was denied by Scott Carson from close range after five minutes and again just before halftime when his unconvincing first touch to control the ball allowed the goalkeeper to thwart the attempt. If there was anything to reassure a dreary Arsenal side failing to produce the fluid football Wenger champions, it was Wigans inability to provide much attacking menace. So Arsenal gifted Wigan the opening to go in front. Mertesacker slid in with a lunge to cut out Callum McManamans run and the forward went to ground in the penalty area. After a delay while Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal received treatment elsewhere on the pitch, Gomez, a product of Barcelonas youth system, sent the spot kick beyond the reach of Lukasz Fabianski. The anger among Arsenal fans who have grown accustomed to failure was clear: Jeers greeted Wengers decision to bring Giroud on, not for Sanogo but Lukas Podolski in the 68th. The equalizer proved elusive. After Carsons save from Kieran Gibbs header sent the ball drifting toward the goal, Wigan defender Stephen Crainey scooped the ball off the line. Wigans goal was finally breached in the 82nd when it couldnt fully clear a corner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain raised the ball over the defence and Mertesacker headed in at the far post. It was a lucky escape for Arsenal, which was denied a winner in extra time when Oxlade-Chamberlain hit the crossbar but had better luck in the shootout. Fabianski saved Wigans first two penalties by Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison, while Arteta, Kim Kallstrom, Giroud and Cazorla all netted for the Gunners. "We are walking out of Wembley on paper as losers but in our own mind as winners," said Wigan manager Uwe Rosler, whose focus returns to gaining promotion back to the Premier League. Cheap Jordan Black Friday . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand. Jordan Black Friday 2019 . "I just think what it does for everybody in life is real simple," said Babcock early on Friday afternoon. "You dont give in. You just keep on keeping on. Is it going to go your way every time? No. But you choose your attitude and how you perform and how hard you dig in." Nearly four years to the day of the 2010 gold medal match in Vancouver, his team dug in with its best effort of these Olympics, snuffing out the high-powered Americans for another opportunity at gold. http://www.blackfridayjordan.com/ .com) - Stephen Currys jumper with 3.RENTON, Wash. - Everyone has seen Percy Harvin take the quick screen or a handoff on a fly sweep and turn a play that starts at the line of scrimmage into a gain of 20 or 30 or more yards.But after five games this season with the Seattle Seahawks, questions remain about whether Harvin can be more of an option as a pass catcher down the field.Well, we know hes got speed and we know he can go down the field with speed, Seattle offensive co-ordinator Darrell Bevell said. Hes got great quickness so we can use him in that. The test always is, is to make sure some of those guys get the ball in their hands.The Seahawks are still trying to figure out how best to use the unique talents of Harvin within a run-first offence. Seattle never got its trial and error opportunity with Harvin last season following his trade from Minnesota because of hip surgery that limited him to one regular-season game. His on-field influence was never fully felt until the Super Bowl.So that process is happening for the first time now. The difficulty in fitting Harvin in was most evident last week in Seattles 30-23 loss to Dallas.I just think they overall had a great defensive game plan just taking away the bubble screens, some of the sweeps they took away, Harvin said. Overall (their) defensive co-ordinator had a heck of a game plan. It slowed us down. It threw us off rhythm.Marshawn Lynch finished with only 10 carries and just two in the first half. Seattle attempted to throw three wide receiver screens to Harvin that went for zero yards and he had three rushes for (minus)-1 yard. The fact Harvin finished with nearly as many overall touches as Lynch had carries had fans in an uproar that a run-first team was not leaning on its workhorse. It didnt help that Seattle finished with only 48 offensive plays and was 5 of 13 on thirdd downs. Jordan Black Friday From China. We want to get the running game going, we want (Lynch) to be a big factor, and we want you to have to deal with that running game that number 24 brings us. And when were not, were not quite the same and we dont want it to be that way, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.This season, Harvin has 22 receptions, with 12 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage. He has only one catch on a ball thrown more than 10 yards, according to STATS Inc. Harvins average of 6 yards per catch is last among all wide receivers in the NFL averaging at least two receptions per game.The average point where Harvin is catching the ball through five games is 1.1 yards past the line of scrimmage, also the lowest number in the NFL. Against Denver, Harvin finished with 42 yards receiving, with 41 coming after the catch.Harvins numbers are slightly skewed because of big plays that have been called back due to penalties. He had a 40-yard touchdown catch against Washington called back because of a penalty. But for the most part, Seattle has simply thrown the ball to Harvin immediately and asked him to try to break a big play.While the clamour is for Harvin to be used more down field, the track record throughout his career is that Harvin is not much of a threat down field. Harvin has 303 career receptions and only 11 of those came on a throw that travelled more than 20 yards, according to STATS. More than half of his receptions — 241 total — have come within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and 115 of those behind the line of scrimmage.Im just staying within the offence. When my number is called, Im trying to do it to the best of my ability, Harvin said. When I dont have the ball, just try and affect the game in the same way.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '