Cardiff certainly won’t be pushovers, they made it to the final last year, although they only faced opposition from above their league in one round until the final. They’ll bring a high tempo game and look to do what Burnley did to us in the Carling Cup

Another good result in the league, and now our attentions turn once again to the FA Cup, as we try and extend our 100% record so far in 2009. We’ve won four games in a row in all competitions for the first time this season, unbelievably, and we’re now unbeaten in seven in all competitions and in eight in the league. We’ve drawn Cardiff in the FA Cup once before in recent years, in the third round of the 2005/06 season. Pires netted twice in the first twenty minutes to secure a 2-1 win. That season we only made it to the fourth round, and the furthest we’ve made it since then is the fifth round. Cardiff beat us in the 1927 cup final to become the only side outside of England to have won the FA Cup. Still bitter about that, me. This is a tie we should win and then we’re among only sixteen teams left in the competition. It is of course notable for the return to Cardiff of Aaron Ramsey, who made his name in their run to the final in the competition last season. Hopefully he can feature equally prominently in a similar run for us.

Cardiff certainly won’t be pushovers, they made it to the final last year, although they only faced opposition from above their league in one round until the final. They’ll bring a high tempo game and look to do what Burnley did to us in the Carling Cup. Which was to, er, beat us. The home crowd will be noisy and hostile (this could be the last ever FA Cup game at Ninian Park, so they’ll be up for it), the weather will probably be shite and it’ll be a big test for the lads to come through this tie unscathed. They’ll try and rattle us early on and if, as Burnley did, they score an early goal, it’ll be a huge test of character for this young side. Cardiff are comfortably in the playoff places in The Championship, and are unbeaten in ten matches. The last team to beat them were our third round opponents, Plymouth. Half of their current unbeaten run were draws. Their home form this season has been fairly solid, with ten wins and three draws from their fifteen home games this season.

Team News

Clichy is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. With Silvestre still missing from the squad for another week or so we’ll probably see Gibbs at left back. It’s still too early for Eduardo’s return, he played the full game for the reserves on Wednesday against Stoke and if he came through that unscathed, maybe we’ll see him in the first team squad soon. Fabianski will continue in the role of Cup Keeper, and with the two Premier League games next week we could see a smidge of rotation for this game. Not that we can really do much but maybe Ramsey will start against his old club, or Song could come back into the side. Maybe Bendtner and Vela could be involved. It’s unlikely Wilshere will be involved after playing for the reserves on Wednesday. Gallas is fit again after injury and that gives Arsene a selection headache. Does he come straight back into the side in place of Toure or Djourou? The more likely choice would be Toure, Wenger has identified that Toure and Gallas don’t work particularly well together.

Subs: Almunia, Toure, Denilson, Diaby, Wilshere, Vela, Bendtner.

Ex-Villa player Peter Whittingham misses this tie with a hamstring strain. Other than they they should be able to play a full strength team.