Capital One Cup Quarter-Final
Bradford City 1 (Thompson 16)
Arsenal 1 (Vermaelen 87)
Kick Off: 7.45pm
at the Coral Windows Stadium
CITY WIN 3-2 PENALTIES AFTER EXTRA TIME
Attendance: 23,971
Pictures kindly provided by Claire Epton
City sensationally booked their place in the Capital One Cup Semi-Finals for the first time in the club's history with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Premiership giants Arsenal.
In front of nearly 24,000 at a rocking Coral Windows Stadium, Phil Parkinson's men defied all the odds to dump out a full-strength Arsenal side thanks to a 3-2 shootout win - the club's NINTH on the trot.
Thomas Vermaelen's misplaced penalty against the base of the post sparked off jubilant scenes around Valley Parade to cap off probably one of the most memorable nights in the club's history.
Despite the high quality nature of Arsenal line up, it had taken a Vermaelen header three minutes before the end of normal time to rescue the tie for the Gunners after Garry Thompson's 16th minute opener for City.
Not letting their earlier great work go to waste though, City regrouped after that blow and deservedly took the tie all the way through to penalties.
City raced into a two goal lead in the shoot-out thanks to two early Arsenal misses from the spot.
A repelled Stephen Darby penalty and a Jack Wilshere converted effort made things interesting before Alan Connell and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both netted to see City keep up their slender advantage.
Ritchie Jones agonisingly saw his potentially tie-winning penalty kept out by Gunners 'keeper Wojciech Szczesny, but City's woe was short-lived as Vermaelen missed next time up to leave Parkinson's side in dreamland.
| PENALTIES | |
| BRADFORD CITY | ARSENAL |
| Doyle (scored) | Cazorla (saved) |
| G Jones (scored) | Chamakh (missed - hit the post) |
| Darby (saved) | Wilshere (scored) |
| Connell (scored) | Oxlade-Chamberlain (scored) |
| R Jones (saved) | Vermaelen (hits the post) |
CITY WIN 3-2 ON PENALTIES!!!!!!!!!!
TIE GONE TO PENALTIES
120min: There will be a minute of time added on at the end of extra time.
120min: YELLOW CARD - Hanson is booked for kicking the ball away following the award of an Arsenal free-kick.
108min: Cazorla rattles the crossbar with a thumping drive from around 30 yards out.
107min: Chamakh sends a near post header flashing across goal and just wide following Cazorla's corner.
106min: The Bantams restart the tie.
HT of ET: Bradford City 1 Arsenal 1
104min: Gibbs sends a looping header over the bar from around ten yards out after Sagna's cross had flicked up to the far post off the head of Meredith.
100min: Gary Jones heads clear from right in front of his own goal after Sagna had sent a header of his own towards goal from an Arsenal corner.
99min: Duke makes a brilliant save to push a fierce rising drive from Gibbs around his near post.
97min: Duke denies Wilshere from a tight angle right by the byline after the Arsenal midfielder had turned into space deep inside City's penalty area.
92min: SUB - Blair Turgott is introduced for Will Atkinson.
92min: YELLOW CARD - Vermaelen is booked for barging into Connell while the pair contested a high ball out by near the touchline.
91min: Arsenal restart the tie. City will once again attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first period of extra time.
TIE GONE TO EXTRA TIME
90+4min: Duke produces a great save to repel Cazorla's strike for goal from the resulting free-kick. The ball fails back into the Spaniard's path seconds later but his low drive from slightly nearer in is again kept out by Duke.
90+4min: YELLOW CARD - Nathan Doyle is booked for a foul on Cazorla around 25 yards from City's goal.
90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
89min: Rosicky fires a low angled drive from just outside the area narrowly wide of Duke's far post.
87min: GOAL - Bradford City 1 Arsenal 1 - Heart-break for City as Vermaelen heads home a far post cross from Cazorla after the Spaniard's corner had only been half-cleared by City.
84min: Gervinho's low cut-back from the byline eventually finds the sliding Oxlade-Chamberlain but his effort from around fourteen yards out flies well wide of the target.
81min: A fine run and driven shot from Wilshere from just outside the area is repelled by a good low save to his left by Duke.
74min: SUB - City now bring on Alan Connell for Wells.
72min: SUB - City respond by bringing on Ritchie Jones for goalscorer Thompson.
70min: Oxlade-Chamberlain's drive from around fourteen yards out is pushed out by Duke.
69min: SUBS - Arsenal bring on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tomas Rosicky for Ramsey for Podolski.
68min: YELLOW CARD - Wells is booked for bringing down Wilshere just inside Arsenal's own half.
61min: SUB - Marouane Chamakh replaces Coquelin for Arsenal.
60min: Gervinho plays a one-two with Ramsey but the striker's eventual low angled shot for goal goes a good few yards wide.
59min: After being picked out by Sagna, Coquelin's run and low cross from the byline looks extremely threatening but whistles past everyone in the middle.
54min: Ramsey fires a yard or so wide of Duke's far top corner with a shot on the spin from outside the area after being picked out by Cazorla.
46min: The Bantams restart the tie.
HT: Bradford City 1 Arsenal 0
45+1min: Wells fires a few yards over the bar with a fizzing drive from around 20 yards out.
45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
45min: Wells goes agonsingly close to doubling City's lead! After latching onto a flick on from James Hanson, Wells knocks the ball past Vermaelen before rolling a shot past Szczesny from just inside the area - only to see it trickle a yard or so wide of the post.
42min: Gervinho misses a sitter from barely yards out! Gibbs' low centre across City's six yard box finds the forward completely unmarked in the middle but he still somehow steers wide from only four yards out with the goal gaping.
40min: Carzola fires a yard or two wide of the target with a powerful drive from distance.
39min: Aaron Ramsey's deep cross eventually finds Carzola lurking at the far end of City's penalty area but he lashes wildly over the bar.
38min: Francis Coquelin wriggles his way past a couple of City players before striking the base of Matt Duke's near post with a low drive from just outside the area.
34min: Gibbs fires a rising half-volley narrowly past Duke's near post after latching onto a searching ball from Sagna.
30min: Thompson flicks goal from around twelve yards out after spinning onto a hanging Jones cross but the effort is saved down low to his left by Szczesny with relative ease.
29min: A Podolski free-kick positioned just outside City's area finds the middle of the Bantams' wall.
24min: A Jones corner is flicked for goal by McArdle at the near post but Kieran Gibbs is on hand to hack clear before Wells can look to pounce from close range.
16min: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bradford City 1 Arsenal 0 - City take the lead of the tie! A Gary Jones free-kick from a wide position eventually finds its way through to Garry Thompson lurking at the far post. The winger blasts for goal from around six yards out and finds the roof of the net despite the best efforts of Szczesny.
11min: Lukas Podolski heads a few yards over from a central position around ten yards out following Jack Wilshere's in-swinging cross.
10min: Vermaelen heads narrowly over the bar following Santi Carzola's corner to the far post.
8min: YELLOW CARD - Gervinho is booked for handling Bacary Sagna's cross after competing for the ball with Rory McArdle.
6min: Nahki Wells pressures Thomas Vermaelen just under to get the better of the Belgian defender while the pair compete for a bouncing ball on the edge of Arsenal's area. Wells manages to get a toe-poke in but Wojciech Szczesny gets low to his right to push it away.
0min: Arsenal kick off the tie. City will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first half.
7:45pm: The stadium is packed, the atmosphere is amazing - we're just about ready to go!
BRADFORD LINE UP
BRADFORD LINE UP
Duke, Darby, Meredith, McArdle, McHugh, Thompson, Doyle, G Jones, Atkinson, Wells, Hanson
Subs: McLaughlin, Ravenhill, R Jones, Connell, Hines, Turgott, Good
Bradford changes:
R Jones for Thompson (72), Connell for Wells (74), Turgott for Atkinson (92)
Bradford cautions:
Wells (68), Doyle (90+4), Hanson (120)
Bradford dismissals:
ARSENAL LINE UP
Szczesny, Sagna, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Wilshere, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Podolski, Gervinho
Subs: Mannone, Rosicky, Arteta, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Squillaci, Jenkinson, Chamakh
Arsenal changes:
Chamakh for Coquelin (61), Rosicky for Ramsey (69), Oxlade-Chamberlain for Podolski (69)
Arsenal cautions:
Gervinho (8), Vermaelen (92)
Arsenal dismissals:
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Michael Dean
Assistant Referee: Jake Collin
Assistant Referee: John Brooks
Fourth Official: Kevin Friend