Live Commentary

Last Updated at 7:20 pm, February 18th 2012

1. Sunderland were a joy to watch and are a team to be reckoned with in the latter stages of this competition. It will be another trophyless season for the Gunners, who look to have added to their injury woes tonight to rub salt into the wound. Thanks for joining me this evening, I hope you enjoyed the match.

2. Abdal Mass writes: "Something I am pretty sure about Arsenal is as long as Wenger keeps being stubborn and still in charge next season and beyond, there'll be no more success for them."

3. Neilos writes: "All the success Wenger had was built on the defence Graham made. We can't live on past glory anymore. A club of Arsenal's stature shouldn't be trophy less for this long. Wenger hasn't got a plan B."

4. That was the last action of the match. Sunderland claim a well-deserved victory. They showed such a willingness to fight for the win and defended strongly. Arsenal's season looks like it has fallen apart in February once again. They backed up their woeful performance against Milan in mid-week with an equally flat display today. Wenger has a lot of work ahead of him to salvage anything from this season.

5. 90+3

   Arsenal have a free-kick in a good position. Van Persie takes it but it clips the wall and goes safe.

6. 90+2

   Arsenal have the ball deep in Sunderland's half. Chamberlain feeds Gervinho on the left side of the penalty area but his squared ball is cleared.

7. 90+1

   Vermaelen's shot is blocked but it runs free to Arteta. His shot, however, travels well over.

8. 90+1

   3 minutes of injury time will be played. Sunderland have surely done enough to seal victory.

9. 90

   Arsenal have a corner but it is cleared by Bardsley.

10. 89

    Sunderland make a change now and Sessegnon is given a great reception as he is replaced by Campbell.

11. 88

    Sessegnon shows a good touch to get past Djourou and centre the ball, but McClean can't quite get on the end of it.

12. 87

    Song tries to clip it into the box towards van Persie but O'Shea is not letting the ball past him and heads clear.

13. 86

    Arsenal do create a chance soon after though as Rosicky makes a good run and then finds van Persie in the box. The striker is off-balance however and scoops the ball high and wide.

14. 85

    Good defensive work by Cattermole ensures Arsenal are not able to create an opening.

15. 85

    Arsenal have a throw-in on the right.

16. 84

    Arteta brings Arsenal forward. Chamberlain then tries to play Walcott in behind Sunderland's defence but he is called offside. A very close call.

17. 83

    Larsson's cross is once again pinpoint. Turner troubles Fabianski and the ball goes loose in the middle of the box but Arsenal hack it clear.

18. 82

    Cattermole plays a nice ball to the left wing towards McClean. McClean looks to take a touch past Sagna who fouls him. Sagna is lucky not to pick up a second yellow.

19. 81

    McClean's hard work helps earn a goal kick for his side against the pressure of van Persie.

20. 79

    Cattermole is booked for a foul on Chamberlain.

21. 78

    Sunderland break with Sessegnon bursting forward after Arteta slipped. He advances into the box and plays the ball to his right. It looked as though he may have over-hit it but Larsson reaches it and hits it past Fabianski. It comes off the post and it's a nightmare for Chamberalin who can't stop himself turning it in for an own goal.

22. 77

    GOAL - Chamberlain own goal.

23. 77

    Vermaelen tries a long throw but Sunderland get it clear and try to counter.

24. 77

    Gervinho on the left tries to get past Bardsley but the defender does well to get it out for a throw as opposed to a corner.

25. 76

    Arteta puts the free-kick into the box and Vermaelen gets his head to it, but it doesn't trouble Mignolet, who was well positioned.

26. 75

    Gardner is booked for his foul on Rosicky.

27. 73

    Gervinho makes a run on the left wing but his cross goes behind the goal for a goal kick.

28. 72

    Mignolet shows incredible coolness to swivel away from the advancing Gervinho and then clear the ball.

29. 71

    Rosicky manages to skip past McClean but can't beat Colback and ends up fouling him.

30. 70

    Arsenal are commiting many players forward when they attack but they look vulnerable on the break.

31. 69

    Sunderland break away and Gardner has an effort on goal from distance but it goes harmlessly wide.

32. 68

    Larsson controls Gardner's pass well on the right as Sunderland try to peg Arsenal back, but no chance is created.

33. 67

    Wenger has no more substitutes to use but his team are lacking ideasand creativity at the moment.

34. 66

    Gardner concedes a foul by tripping Rosicky. Walcott is then called offside in the following play from the free-kick.

35. 65

    van Persie takes the free-kick low but it is deflected wide to the left of Mignolet's goal. The captain then takes the corner but the rises to claim it and then begin a counter attack for the hosts.

36. 64

    Larsson is carded for his challenge. van Persie wanted a penalty for a push in the box earlier in that phase of play.

37. 63

    A bit of extended pressure now from Arsenal and they now have a free-kick in a good position.

38. 63

    O'Shea again the man to head clear, this time from Gervinho's cross on the left.

39. 62

    O'Shea heads away Rosicky's attempted cross into the box.

40. 62

    Arteta finds Sagna on the right wing, but his cross is cut out by Richardson.

41. 61

    Richardson hassles Chamberlain into hitting a long ball upfield that goes out of play.

42. 60

    Bardsley has gone down on his ankle and go off thei field temporarily for now.

43. 59

    Sunderland showing a much greater will to win this match. Larsson sees his chipped ball in to the box easily collected by Fabianski.

44. 58

    Another good delivery by Larsson. He finds the head of Turner but the defender can't quite control his header and it goes over.

45. 57

    Sunderland break with Sessegnon. He feeds Gardner, who sees his cross hit the arm of Vermaelen. No reaction from Howard Webb but Sunderland do have a free-kick on the right wing after Vermaelen went on to foul Gardner.

46. 57

    Foul by Cattermole on Arteta.

47. 56

    Larsson puts in a dangerous cross from the right wing but Fabainski rises to claim the ball.

48. 56

    Vermaelen is penalised for a foul on Gardner.

49. 55

    Arsenal are stopped in their tracks in an advanced position as Sessegnon dispossesses Arteta.

50. 53

    Double change for Arsenal as Rosicky comes on for Ramsey and Squillaci is replaced by Walcott. Both players coming off there have been struggling with knocks.

51. 52

    McClean puts in a great cross from the left but Gardner can't get his header on target.

52. 51

    Arteta concedes a free-kick in his own half. Arsenal can't afford to keep handing Sunderland and Larsson set pieces.

53. 51

    Good work by Cattermole as he wins the ball in the centre of the park.

54. 49

    Arsenal come forward with van Persie and then Arteta. Sagna then delivers a tempting ball in from the right but the Sunderland clear it. The clearance only goes as far as Vermaelen who has shot blocked and then Ramsey who fires his attempt high and well wide.

55. 48

    Larsson goes for goal from a great position but his free-kick blazes just over. Unlucky.

56. 47

    Sagna is rightly booked for that challenge.

57. 47

    Chamberlain gets trapped by 3 Sunderland shirts and McClean breaks through the Arsenal defence with great determination. Sagna blatently fouls him.

58. 46

    Sunderland get the second half underway and immediately search out McClean on the left wing. It goes out for an Arsenal throw though.

59. Neilos writes: "I can't believe how badly we have digressed over the years. Some of our 'players' don't deserve to wear the shirt - no pride no bottle and no clue! Van Persie won't be hanging about if there isn't significant investment. Bring back Dein!!"

60. Charlie Goldie writes: "I think Arsenal will dominate the second half and come out 4-1 winners in the end. I'm sure Wenger will demand a lot more of his players in the next 45. "

61. Alan Robinson writes: "Hi Olly, Arsenal need to come to Queensland, Australia, we have, DIVE SCHOOLS who teach you to be professional at diving."

62. If you would like to bet on this second half, our friends at SkyBet have priced Sunderland at 4/7 to see out victory, Arsenal at 5/1 to come back and win with the draw available at 9/4. James McClean has looked lively in the first half, he is available at 10/1 to be the next goalscorer. www.skybet.com is the place to go to make your in-game bets.

63. Matt Pegler writes: "It's beginning to get embarrassing now for us Arsenal fans. Bypassed by Spurs and if we don't turn this around season over in February. We must spend to compete or face mid table next season."

64. 45+3

    Howard Webb blows his whistle and it's Sunderland who head into the interval a goal up.

65. 45+2

    More pressing sees McClean win the ball off Song, but the Arsenal man claims the ball back for his side.

66. 45+1

    Just two minutes to be added to the first half.

67. 45

    Sunderland are really closing down Arsenal effectively and the visitors seem unable to handle the pressure.

68. 44

    Vermaelen tries to break forward but he loses out and Sunderland counter. Larsson swings another great ball in which Colback pulls back for McClean. His effort goes just wide and a goal kick is given although it looked as though Fabianski may have saved that.

69. 42

    More brilliant pressing from Sunderland, forcing Arsenal to lose the ball out of play.

70. 41

    Larsson's delivery is headed back towards the left edge of the area, before Richardson produces a great strike fwith his left peg into the bottom right corner. It looked to have taken a deflection of Squillaci but was still an excellent strike from Richardson. The hosts lead.

71. 40

    GOAL - Richardson scores!

72. 40

    A good position for Larsson to swing a cross in.

73. 39

    Gardner closes down Djourou brilliantly to win the ball. Djourou then pulls the midfielder down as he advances past him to earn himself a booking.

74. 37

    Arsenal controlling the flow of the game at the moment but have been unable to create many chances against an organised Sunderland defence.

75. 36

    Arsenal with possession on the right wing now but they are forced to pass back to their defence. When they come forward again, Ramsey misjudges his pass to allow Mignolet to gather.

76. 35

    van Perise and Song play a nice one-two and the skipper tries to chip towards Chamberlain in the box but Sunderland just about get it clear for now.

77. 34

    O'Shea wins the ball from van Persie to prevent an Arsenal attack.

78. 33

    Ramsey has the ball on the edge of the Sunderland box, looking to create an opening, but he is dispossessed by Turner.

79. 32

    van Persie is through on goal and goes down in the box after O'Shea's challenge. Howard Webb decides against giving a penalty and replays show O'Shea made a vital challenge to get the ball.

80. 31

    No dominant team at the moment. Both sides look capable of scoring and are cancelling each other out at the moment.

81. 30

    Larsson hits a dangerous corner into the six yard box but nobody is able to make contact with ball.

82. 29

    Corner is cleared and Sunderland go up the other end to win a corner for themselves.

83. 28

    Arsenal have a good chance. They break through van Persie who threads Gervinho through on goal, but Mignolet saves his shot out for a corner.

84. 27

    Sunderland now in Arsenal's half but Colback fails to control the ball and Chamberlain comes away with ball.

85. 26

    Arsenal enjoying some possession in Sunderland's half but are struggling to get past Sunderland's line of defence. They remain patient however and still have the ball.

86. 25

    Some good pressure by Sunderland on Arsenal's defence and Fabiamski's panicked clearance goes out of play.

87. 24

    Gardner goes in late on Vermaelen to hand Arsenal a free-kick in their own half.

88. 23

    Sessegnon breaks for Sunderland and feeds McClean who hits a low cross from the left. Fabianski is able to gather.

89. 22

    Arteta floats the free-kick in but Cattermole gets his head to the ball ahead of Vermaelen.

90. 22

    Ramsey heads the ball past Turner and tries to follow but the defender impedes him to concede a free-kick.

91. 21

    Arsenal having their first spell of possession since the beginning of the match, and are looking to settle down a bit.

92. 20

    Good work by McClean on the left but his cross is cleared.

93. 19

    Sessegnon tries to play through Larsson in the box but Vermaelen defends well and wins a free-kick.

94. 18

    Loose ball by Ramsey and it goes to Colback. Sunderland look to move forward but McClean can't find a team-mate with his pass from the left.

95. 17

    McClean, under pressure on the left wing, manages to get a cross away but Fabianski can claim it unchallenged.

96. 16

    He's back on the field now though, looking to run it off.

97. 15

    Ramsey has limped off with what looks like an ankle knock.

98. 14

    Ramsey fouls McClean. Sunderland take the free-kick quickly and Sessegnon has a strike at goal, but it flies wide. Not a bad effort.

99. 13

    Song misplaces his pass to Gervinho but collects the loose ball shortly after.

100. 12

     Vermaelen has switched to his favourite (not) position of left-back as Squillaci joins Djourou at the heart of the Arsenal defence.

101. 11

     McClean tries to flick on Larsson's corner but Arsenal get it clear. Appeals for a handball by Song in the box but it didn't look deliberate.

102. 11

     Squillaci replaces the injured Coquelin.

103. 10

     Song loses the ball and Sunderland advance, McClean winning a corner.

104. 9

     Sessegnon bursts forward but is stopped by Djourou.

105. 8

     Squillaci would be the most obvious replacement for him.

106. 7

     Gardner advances forward but Larsson puts the ball out of play so Coquelin can get some attention. It looks like it's his hamstring and he will most likely have to come off here.

107. 6

     Arteta goes for goal. He hits it well but Mignolet sees it wide of his right post.

108. 5

     Gardner fouls van Persie. Shooting opportunity perhaps for Arsenal although it is some way out.

109. 4

     Chamberlain manages to get a cross in from the right but Sunderland clear.

110. 3

     Some confident passing from Arsenal in the midle of the park, moving the ball with good pace.

111. 2

     Chamberlain's corner seeks the head of Djourou but Sunderland deal with the threat. Arsenal try to work the ball back into the box but concede a free-kick. Bardsley has a cut to his eye.

112. 1

     Explosive run for Gervinho forces an early corner.

113. 1

     Arsenal kick us off at the Stadium of Light.

114. Hello to Ami from Greenwich, who writes: "So glad Oxlade is starting today! Arsenal need to be at their best or they'll be looking at a loss today! Van Persie to score first."

115. Derek Fay writes: "Can see Sunderland getting a result but hoping Arsenal and the Ox tear into them. Happy to see Walcott on the bench, hope he's not just being rested...I'd nearly even play Arshavin ahead of him."

116. Howard Webb is the referee for the clash.

117. Ashley Bennett writes: "4-2 Arsenal in a high scoring match! Oxlade will cause trouble all evening and Larsson to play a key role for Sunderland!"

118. Good evening to Gabriel Sutton from Birmingham, who writes: "I think Arsenal need to redeem themselves quickly after their 4-0 defeat at Milan in midweek. That result ended their Champions League campaign for me. With the FA Cup being the only chance of a trophy for Wenger's side, a win today is essential. However, it'll be a tricky game for the Gunners as Martin O'Neill's side have been performing well of late and will want revenge for the late league defeat last week. I don't think Arsenal have quite enough in themselves at the moment to pull a win out of the bag at the Stadium of Light- for me they'll have to take Sunderland back to London to progress to the 6th Round. Verdict- 1-1"

119. A tough one to call today. If you fancy a bet on it, SkyBet have Sunderland priced at 19/10 to inflict further damage to Arsenal's season. Arsenal are at 11/8 to win the match, while the draw is available at 12/5. Robin van Persie is always a good bet to score, and you can get him at 7/2 to be the first goalscorer this evening.

120. Gervinho slots straight back into the Arsenal starting line-up for today's trip to Sunderland following his return from the African Nations Cup. Boss Arsene Wenger makes five changes from the side hammered 4-0 by AC Milan in the Champions League in midweek, with Lukasz Fabianski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Johan Djourou and Francis Coquelin also coming in while Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky drop to the bench. Lee Cattermole returns from injury in place of Fraizer Campbell in Sunderland's only change from their 2-1 loss to Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend.

121. Here are the teams...

122. Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, O'Shea, Turner, Richardson, Larsson, Cattermole, Gardner, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon. Subs: Westwood, Bridge, Campbell, Ji, Meyler, Kyrgiakos, Elmohamady

123. Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Djourou, Vermaelen, Coquelin, Song, Arteta, Gervinho, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, van Persie. Subs: Szczesny, Rosicky, Walcott, Squillaci, Arshavin, Chamakh, Benayoun

124. Welcome to the Stadium of Light for the coverage of the FA Cup fifth-round tie between Sunderland and Arsenal. Oliver Bell here, all set to steer you through the match. While we wait for the game to kick-off, send your thoughts and predictions to oliver.bell@bskyb.com.

125. Kick-off is at 1715 GMT.