Swansea showed character against Arsenal, says Laudrup

Swansea boss Michael Laudrup thinks his team deserved to draw their FA Cup third round tie with Arsenal but admits that having to play a replay is not ideal. 

Having advanced to the Capital One Cup semi-finals, Swansea already have a busy few weeks coming up and they will now have to take on Arsenal again at the Emirates on 16th January. 

The Liberty Stadium tie exploded into life in the second-half, Michu coming off the bench to give the hosts the lead, only for Lukas Podolski and Kieran Gibbs to reply for Arsenal. 

But Danny Graham levelled with just three minutes left and Laudrup said: "I think it was a fair result. Arsenal only had a couple of shots in the first half and we had the best chance when Danny Graham had his effort saved. 

"The changes we made in the second half brought us a goal but then Arsenal put us under pressure and took over possession. 

"They scored two late goals but we came back again, to show the great character that we have in the team. To play against Arsenal with our top scorer on the bench shows we are building this team and this club and it is great to see." 

Looking towards the replay, Laudrup added: "A replay isn't exactly what I was looking forward to, especially with the games we have coming up, but the last thing I want is to lose a game. 

"It is a tight schedule but, when you are on the pitch, you want to win. It always matters if you lose, and it is another big game to look forward to. We'll continue with this positive momentum and, what we have already this season, nobody can take away from us." 

Regarding the decision to start with Michu on the bench, Laudrup added: "He wasn't 100 per cent. He picked up an ankle injury in the game against Reading and he also had a slight back problem. 

"After two goals in two games, I was hoping that Danny (Graham) could continue his momentum and he did just that. 

"He worked hard throughout and I think in the last three games we have seen the Danny that we saw at the end of pre-season and in the early part of the season. He is important for us because he is scoring goals."

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Source: SkySports