Ever since he took charge of Arsenal in 1996, Arsene Wenger has often used the League Cup as an opportunity to blood some of the club's fringe and younger players.
That is arguably the main reason as to why the Gunners have never won the competition under the Frenchman's watch, although they have reached the final twice.
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While Wenger's tendency to put his faith in youth has sometimes paid dividends, there are also numerous occasions when his reluctance to pick a stronger starting lineup has backfired, just as it did when Chelsea made the short trip to Highbury for a fourth-round tie 17 years ago today.
Aside from Dennis Bergkamp, who was returning to fitness from injury, not one of the players that Wenger picked was regarded to be a regular when it came to Premier League or Champions League matches.
Nevertheless, despite this it was the inexperienced hosts that created the better chances during the first half as Stephen Hughes, Christopher Wreh and Bergkamp all went close.
However, their failure to find the back of the net was duly punished in the 34th minute. Chelsea's Gus Poyet collected possession on the halfway line and strode forward through an Arsenal defence that seemed to part. As the Uruguayan reached the penalty area and prepared to take aim, he was adjudged to have been fouled by Gilles Grimandi and Frank Leboeuf stepped up to smash in the resultant kick from 12 yards out.
The scoreline remained 1-0 to the visitors at the break, but just four minutes after the restart, Chelsea took total control of proceedings. Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger raced off his line to meet Bjarne Goldbaek's lofted pass, but he was beaten to the ball by Gianluca Vialli, who rolled it into an unguarded net.
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Two became three with 65 minutes on the clock when Tore Andre Flo outpaced Grimandi on the right wing. The Norwegian then showed good awareness by picking out Poyet and although his low shot was off target, it squeezed inside the far post via a deflection off Nelson Vivas.
Then, with 17 minutes left Chelsea's player-manager Vialli claimed his second goal of the evening when he fired in a right-footed half-volley beyond the reach of a diving Manninger to make it 4-0.
Chelsea were not done there, either, because in the 80th minute Poyet mimicked Vialli by doubling up. Dan Petrescu played in the midfielder, who stretched just far enough to prod the ball into the net, with Manninger stranded.
It was the final goal of the contest and also inflicted a home defeat on Arsenal of more than four goals for just the second time in almost 80 years.
Arsenal: Manninger; Grondin, Grimandi, Upson, Vivas; Garde (Mendez), Hughes, Ljungberg, Boa Morte; Bergkamp (Caballero), Wreh
Chelsea: Kharine; Petrescu, Leboeuf (Lambourde), Duberry, Babayaro; Di Matteo, Goldbaek (Percassi), Poyet, Nicholls (Clement); Vialli, Flo
Liam Apicella
