FA Cup: Arsenal manager Wenger frustrated after 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient

Arsenal manager wenger IS frustrated as a replay against leyton orient, whom they drew with 1-1, will make their already conGested schedule even worse

Arsenal manager wenger IS frustrated as a replay against leyton orient, whom they drew with 1-1, will make their already congested scheduleu00a0even worse

Arsene Wenger admitted a sense of frustration that Arsenal failed to kill off Leyton Orient as the League One side forced an FA Cup fifth-round replay after snatching a late 1-1 draw at Brisbane Road.

Leyton Orient's Jonathan Tehoue (left) vies with Arsenal's Denilson during their FA Cup fifth round match in London last night. PIC/AFP

The Gunners made 10 changes from the side which had beaten Barcelona in midweek, but lacked a cutting edge in attack before they eventually made the breakthrough when Tomas Rosicky headed in at the start of the second half.

However, Orient produced a late rally and substitute Jonathan Tehoue drilled home with a minute left to earn a money-spinning replay which keeps alive the dream of a quarter-final at Manchester United.

With an already congested fixture list ufffd which includes next Sunday's Carling Cup final against Birmingham at Wembley ufffd the last thing Wenger will have wanted was a replay, which is set for March 2, just a week before they head out to Spain for the second leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.

"We have played the game with the right attitude and could not fault our fighting spirit, but you also have to give credit to Leyton Orient because they never gave up and fought very hard," Wenger said.

"As long as you do not score the second goal, that can happen.

"Overall it is a disappointment, but we are still in the competition and will now play at home.

"The most important thing is to go through.

"You had a match against a team which is technically superior, but fighting spirit has a chance."

Wenger, though, continued: "The most negative side of our result today is one more fixture and in fairness that is not what we needed.

"We have had problems in the cups against teams from the lower divisions to finish them off.

"Sometimes, mentally, a breather would not be bad."