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ARSENAL captain Cesc Fabregas was delighted to avoid a replay after his late penalty saw the Gunners past Town and into the FA Cup fifth round.

Arsene Wenger’s men are still challenging on four fronts, having seen off Ipswich in midweek to reach the Carling Cup final and with a Champions League last-16 clash with Barcelona looming.

Fabregas ensured a 2-1 triumph by netting from the spot after Nicklas Bendtner went down under Jamie McCombe’s challenge.

The climax was similar to the third-round draw with Leeds, but Fabregas said: "We won and we are happy we don’t have to play an extra game.

"We are in Europe and playing the best team in Europe, so we don’t need an extra game."

Looking forward, he said: "We always want to win, everyone is expecting us to reach the final but we have to play so many games before that and we have to be ready."

Bendtner saw his shot deflected in by the unfortunate Peter Clarke for Arsenal’s opener, before Sebastien Squillaci was sent off for hauling down Jack Hunt and Alan Lee headed an equaliser for Town.

But the Dane insisted: "It’s my goal, yeah!

"It was important we won the game and I’m happy to get a goal.

"It was a tough game, we had a man sent off and it turned a little bit, they had a lot of chances, but in the end I think we deserved to win."

Arsene Wenger admits Samir Nasri is now a major doubt for their Champions League clash against Barcelona after his gamble "backfired" when the influential midfielder picked up a hamstring injury in the clash with Town.

Wenger said: "Nasri looks to have a serious hamstring injury. Usually it is three weeks.

"We have to see if it is a grade 1, it will be two weeks, so we will see.

"I have now regrets because the plan was to play Rosicky, but he was still too weak because he was sick, so I took the gamble on Nasri.

"It backfired, but he could have come on and that happened as well.

"It is very difficult to predict.

"We are at the stage of the season where we play so many games that to lose bodies is very difficult for us.

"But Samir is a big blow."

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