12/12/2012 The League Cup Show

Good evening. It's the cup competition everyone is talking

about. After the unforgettable events of the Capital One Cup

Fourth Round, tonight, with Leeds' match against Chelsea delayed until

next Wednesday due to the World Club Final, we focus on three of

the four quarter final ties. Well, Mark Bright's here to reflect

on another frantic night of knockout football - Here's what's

coming up on tonight's show. The conquerors of cup holders

Liverpool welcomed one of the form teams of the Championship,

Middlesbrough to South Wales tonight - we've all the action from

a big occassion for Michael Laudrup's Swansea at the Liberty

Stadium. It was arguably the greatest

comeback in Cup history - Arsenal's recovery from 4 down to win at 7-5

at Reading has entered football folklore - the Gunners prize - a

trip to League Two giantkillers Bradford.

And Paul Lambert's contribution to Norwich City's recent success

cannot be overstated, but his departure in the summer was a

bitter pill to swallow. If his new club, Aston Villa, dumped The

Canaries out of the Cup, he'd really be rubbing their noses in it.

Right, no time to waste: They've been this season's Cup giantkillers.

Bradford City of League Two have so far defied all the the odds to beat

three sides from higher divisions, including an away victory at

Premier League Wigan in the last round. But on Tuesday night the

Bantums would come up against Arsenal -a club who, after their

heroics against Reading, seem to have their name written on the

have their name written on the trophy.

The capital One car is down to his last state. Bradford City are

second 72nd in the league rankings. For one night, the good times are

back at Valley Parade, and Arsenal are in town. This is Bradford's

10th cup tie of the season. They have yet to lose 1. It is the same

11 that beat Torquay on Saturday. Local boy James Hanson has seven

goals this season. Matthew Wells has 14. For Arsenal, no compromise.

Injury denies them have the services of key players. They run

their youngsters, they are strong, eight of these started the Premier

League win against West Brom on Saturday. Arsene Wenger has been

here before, he has and one hair. - - and he has not won here.

Jody neo- is onside. -- Xavi. He got dangerously goal side. He

thought he would go in self-. Duke. He played it through

Vermaelen's legs. He was reduced to a pretty crude block. Gary Jones

has the free kick. In by Garry Thompson. Bradford City's dream

goes on. The roof is coming off the place. Can you believe this?

Jones's free kick, deflected, a most threatening moment. Carzola,

High and horrible. There was a matter of a target area for the

Frenchman, he was very close to the best football that Arsenal have

played. A lovely series of passes, each one with a purpose. Gibbs

looked to have laid on an equaliser. Oh, my goodness. It is within a

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds

McCarthy. Arsenal are throwing the kitchen sink at it. That has come

last off a Chamakh. Ten minutes plus stoppage time. Arsenal would

gladly play 34 minutes. A weak clearance. With Jack Wilshere in

your side, you have always got a chance. Mertesacker is playing as a

centre-forward. Desperation now. Carzola's shot his deflected wide.

They have grabbed the equaliser! The skipper comes to the rescue,

Vermaelen, Bradford's hards broken. -- hearts. Arsenal stay in the

capital one Cup. The last minute of stoppage time. A foul by Doyle.

There is no one you would want overwritten more than Santi Carzola.

-- over it. And Duke got behind it, it came to Rosicky. Duke makes the

save. Denied by McHugh. That was the last action. Carzola's free

kick was repelled. Bradford have stood strong. They so clearly

wanted the game, as it is it is is such a good player. In all

circumstances, the biggest venues and on the Continent. Just one

minute separating us from penalties. This parameter Bradford effort is

vulnerable to this Jack Wilshere free kick. -- this heroic effort.

kept it from going out. The next thing he will face is a series of

penalties. What a cup-tie. What a tale of two sides. Two hours of the

ball had separated -- two hours of football have failed to separate

and haul has a bit. -- Duke has a bit. The goalkeeping star. Gary

believes in everything. He has hit the post. Bradford are really close.

A disbelieving look from Wenger. A successful conversion by Stephen

Darby takes Bradford to match point. It is a week strike. Szczesny drags

Arsenal back into wet. Wilshere scores, Arsenal are on the board. -

confidence. Great aplomb. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, if he fails,

Bradford win. He does it. It is the former Manchester United man,

Ritchie Jones. All the way it is on his shoulders. -- all of the weight

of the world is on his shoulders. One of the great moments in the

history of this lovable club. He has been denied. Szczesny stops it,

and Arsenal are within one successful conversion of. Vermaelen

has rescued them once, he now has one kick. He has missed it!

the history of Bradford City. An extraordinary achievement. Phil

Parkinson leaves his League Two team into the semi-final of the

League Cup for the first time ever and Arsenal, of the Premier League,

of the Champion League, have fallen. Fallen at the very last hurdle on a

marathon night. Phil Parkinson, his team and all of Bradford will never

forget this night. The story will probably be about the penalty

shoot-out, but I wanted to be about the performance over 120 minutes.

There was the setback of the equaliser and we had to go again.

Answer to the lads, are we fit and strong enough and they said yes.

They defended and survived physically. We could not convert

our chances. We didn't hurt them enough. It is a great night for the

City of Bradford. It hasn't sunk in yet for the players and myself, the

enormity of what we have just done, but I am sure it will tomorrow

What an unforgettable night. really was a giant killing. It was

perfect for Arsenal, they have the Lautrec team in the competition. We

expected Arsenal to win, but what a great night for Bradford City.

Asked the deal -- Arsenal did help them. Jefinho does get a good look

Celtic, then he touches it wide. -- Gervinho does get a good look at it,

then he touches it wide. This was the chance to win a cup. They have

not had a trophy for seven seasons. How much pressure is Arsene Wenger

under? He is under a lot of pressure. They need be silverware.

That is what memories are made of, going to Wembley and lifting the

trophy. Let us not take anything away from Bradford City. The

goalkeeper was in unbelievable form. I took a whole team were in

fantastic form. There was good positioning, focus and a lot of

concentration. As a fan, inside that stadium, you sense the upset.

Arsenal scored but three minutes to go and then there was extra time.

They have a great record in penalty shoot-out. There is a great shot of

the players having a pep talk. have won nine it straight penalty

shoot-outs this season. They took Arsenal all the way. They are

confident in taking the penalties. Arsenal have a team of

international footballers and you would expect them to hold their

nerve. As crazy as it sounds, there was no fear. Absolutely. All credit

to them. They were courageous and defiant. They really wanted that

cup-tie. Great atmosphere inside the stadium. With Aston Villa

language in -- languishing close to relegation, was it a good idea to

swap? When Paul Lambert walked out of

this tunnel on the 8th August to that the 9th, little could he have

imagined the sequence of events that were about to unleash. The 7-1

thrashing of Norwich on the opening day of the season at sent

shockwaves throughout football. I want me to -- I want you to tell me

how it felt? Horrendous. I thought it was the end of the world.

manager was sacked five days later. What did you think when Paul

Lambert was appointed? I had never heard of him. Before long, they

were on the way to one of English football's most rapid turnaround of

the recent era. There was an equally impressive campaign the

following season that saw Norwich back in the Premier League. How has

the right been under Paul Lambert? Fantastic. If you think about where

we were when we relegated, he did a fantastic job. But in the summer

things got messy. When Aston Villa came calling, Norwich have refused

Paul Lambert's resignation and now both clubs are suing each other. A

Premier League tribunal will try to settle the dispute in January. Paul

Lambert, hero or villain? Hero, for what he did for the football club,

but a thing of the past now. Hero. Villain. I don't know. If it wasn't

for him, I don't know where we would be. When a club has made the

progress that Norwich has, is it difficult to figure out what to do?

The manager did exceptionally well, so it each week and each game

brings challenges. Did you have a conversation with Paul Lambert?

did. I have a lot of respect for him. He did an incredible job here

and no-one will forget that, but he has also got to change. For the

challenge I have here, it will be different. Paul Lambert has a great

challenge at Aston Villa and I wish him all the best. I hope he gets a

good recession because he deserves it, for what he has done here, and

I look forward to seeing him, win or lose, after the game. There was

a lively opening. 90 minutes in, Aston Villa's defence was pounced

on. It was a matter of seconds before Paul Lambert's new team were

there was a which form of scoring form. The Canaries were on course

for their first defeat in 11 matches. Christian Benteke had the

home defence in disarray. The five- time winners could not be caught

and they topped off the evening with a last-minute goal by

Christian Benteke. So Paul Lambert once again a winner at Caro wrote.

-- Harrow Road. Congratulations to them. They were better than ours.

As the game opened up we have to take a few chances to walk the end

-- towards the end. They are a side that is playing well at the moment.

Our standards have dropped and we need to get back on track. It must

have felt a little bit where for you. It was nice to see people I

have not seen for a while. I had a great time here, but it is sad how

it ended. It would be nice to put it to bed? Absolutely. Hopefully

something can be done in the right man and he can be finished with. --

right manner and it can be finished It didn't really go to form, did

it? It didn't work out that way at all. Signs of a partnership coming

together? Absolutely. Christian Benteke takes the ball down and

then composes himself. He provides the cross for the second one.

Another similar finish. Remember, they went 1-0 down. Christian

Benteke is really growing on me. I like what I have seen so far with

this young player. Do you think the emotion of Paul Lambert going back

there push them over the line? would want to go there and prove

what a good manager he is. However, they are picking up and growing in

confidence and it only bodes well for them in the league. They have

got a great League Cup pedigree. They are only two games away from

Wembley. They have won the competition five times. The fans'

sense it and the players can grasp it. Anything can happen over a

couple of games. It is a young and vibrant side. It is. They really

don't have the money to spend, but if you can get that team together,

they will do good things. Michael Laudrup team -- Michael Laudrup's

team is on the way to achieving Let us have a look at the line-up.

Swansea are making format changes Jonathon Woodgate is rested. This

is the 12 consecutive away match for Middlesbrough in the

competition, that is a run that goes back to August 2000 they mate.

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 60 seconds

almost ran for lead -- for Ledesma. A 700 mile round trip for the

Probert says no. A good save by a Tremmel. He had the presence of

mind to pull the ball back. In the end, the shot was reasonably

deflected, and the goalkeeper still reacted. It could have easily gone

in. Steele reacted well. He had by Tremmel. That is probably the

best chance of the half. Grant Leadbitter has had all the best

opportunities. A clear sight of goal, he will be disappointed to

have hit bat straight down the Nathan Dyer. He has scored four

goals this season so far. A decent Ward's Jutkiewicz That. He could

not reach it. -- to. Is that a foul? Nothing has been given. That

is a contentious decision. Steele, or Luke Moore. A little touch of

calm inside the penalty area. Ledesma's ball in, headed over the

top by Jutkiewicz That. Tony Mowbray will be wondering what they

will convert one of these chances. -- when it they will convert. Michu

is onside. The referee gives a free kick. It is a yellow card. Bailey

is saying he got the ball. He might have a point. Jonathan de Guzman is

over the free kick. Steele expected to come in from De Guzman. They

have given a goal kick, that should have been a corner. Unlucky. A good

free kick by a De Guzman. Steele got a touch, it goes down as a good

save. It also goes down as a poor decision, it should have been a

corner. More like it from Michael a great first touch, is that a

penalty? Lee Probert says it is not. What a touch! Hines comes across.

You would see that given more times Middlesbrough. The last ten minutes

could be quite something. Michu is onside, great covering challenge.

Good defending. Ten minutes to play. A semi-final place at stake. It is

an own goal! Swansea lead, but it is an own goal. That might have

undone Middlesbrough's good work. I think it is Hines, it is Seb Hines.

Time is against Middlesbrough at pressure on Swansea, there will be

some nerves. Deflected shot. Corner. underneath the crossbar. A goal

kick has been given. It was Seb Hines, he has headed it over the

that! That was the chance they were hoping for. -- Macdonald. Millet

did very well. He just could not get there. The Premier League side

has progressed, the Championship has progressed, the Championship

side are out. We dominated in the second half. We

did not create that many chances. It was nice to see the goal going.

They it was a good performance, we take the positive, they are in the

top half of the Premier League, we have given a good account of

ourselves. I was disappointed for ourselves. I was disappointed for

our supporters, it was a long drive. A strange game, lacking genuine

atmosphere, what was going on? after last night, we were all

looking forward to wit, it did not looking forward to wit, it did not

seem to get going. It was slow, not a lot of chances. It didn't feel

like a quarter final. It did not have that atmosphere. In the end,

it was a game about two headers, one scored at the wrong end, they

miss? Says Hines, the young defender. He seems to get in the

way, he gets the wrong side of the ball. There is a much she can do

about it. If they had someone on the post, someone could have

cleared it. At the end of the game, he comes, I think there is the

slightest of touches, which diverts it. He heads it over, when all has

to do is take it in. -- when all the has to do his ad team. It is a

long journey for the fans, but they will give it up if they can get

into the play-offs. The sponsors paid for 700 fans to make the trip,

it is a long journey back. always is. The positives, they have

held their own against a Premier League club. They have a go at the

end of the game. Maybe they should have been let off the leash a bit

earlier. It was a cautious game. Middlesbrough probably would be too

upset, they are going for bigger things, promotion. There is no

question about that. They are going well, in fourth place, one of a

number of teams that a string a run together. I will be surprised if

they're not there or thereabouts. I have seen Swansea a few times, they

are refreshing. I think Michael Laudrup has taken a really good

look at it, and he is playing a very strong team. PCS this

competition -- he sees this competition as one they can go a

long way in. If is -- it is not the usual suspects in the final for?

Swansea, Bella, Bradford, it is great. -- Villa. The underdogs have

got through, happy to see Bradford in there, it is a great story,

Swansea, and Aston Villa, hopefully they can get to the final.

Right. That's almost it from us. Before we go though, a quick

reminder that Football Focus is on at 12.15 on Saturday morning on

BBC1. And join Jason Mohammed later that evening for all the goals and

talking points from the Football League at 23.45, right after MOTD.

Mark, thanks for your company tonight. So well done Swansea and