To put this result into perspective, Arsène Wenger had never previously lost an FA Cup third-round tie in his 21 years as the longest-serving manager in the country. He has won this trophy seven times, which is the same as Chelsea and Liverpool have managed throughout their entire histories, and plainly felt the gap between the Premier League and the Championship was big enough to put out a substantially weakened side. Nottingham Forest, with their songs about the European Cups and stands named after Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, will not appreciate it being called a giantkilling – but it still counts as a significant shock and a jarring experience for Wenger. Along the way, there was...
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