Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson picked only four of the players that started Saturday's draw with Hull, striker James Beattie among those to get a rest. And as expected, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger overhauled his team completely. Gibbs, 18, was handed a first-team debut alongside fellow teenagers Denilson, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner. Only the presence of 31-year-old Gilberto - who was overlooked for the captaincy in favour of keeper Lukasz Fabianski - pushed the average age of the team over 21. But despite the unfamiliar names in Arsenal's line-up, the Blades seemed overawed and failed to put Arsenal's inexperienced defence under any prolonged pressure. Sharp's shot - which was well saved by Fabianski after four minutes - was as close as the Blades came to a shock. Four minutes later, Bendtner slid the ball through for Eduardo and with Chris Lucketti standing off him, almost daring the Croat to try his luck, he did exactly that. The summer signing hammered an unstoppable left-foot shot into the top corner. The hosts' inability to keep possession allowed Arsenal's youngsters to stroke the ball around confidently in midfield, dominating possession without creating too many clear-cut chances. Fabianski, meanwhile, was tested only by the odd long throw and free-kick from the disappointing Blades. Eduardo deservedly made it 2-0 on 50 minutes before Walcott hit the post from a tight angle after ghosting past keeper Ian Bennett. And as Sheffield United's beleaguered defence stood and watched, Denilson roamed forward and unleashed a shot which deflected off Chris Morgan and looped over Bennett.
Source: BBC Sport
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