Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised a spirited Leyton Orient after the League One outfit forced a draw in the FA Cup.
The Gunners, fielding an understrength team, went ahead through Tomas Rosicky but a battling Orient salvaged a draw thanks to a last minute strike from Frenchman Jonathan Tehoue.
The draw ensures Orient a replay at the Emirates stadium – guaranteeing the London club a bumper pay day thought to be in the region of £700,000.
Orient owner Barry Hearn is rewarding the club’s historic result by taking his team to Vegas to celebrate.
And Wenger, whose club came from behind to beat Barcelona midweek, praised Orient’s fighting spirit.
He said: “That’s what football is about. I believe we have played the game with the right attitude and I cannot fault our fighting spirit.
“You have to give credit to Leyton Orient. They never gave up and, as long as you don’t score the second goal, these kind of things can happen.
“It is a disappointment of course but we are still in the competition and the most important thing is that we go through, that’s what the Cup is all about.
“Today you had fighting spirit against a team who were technically superior, but in a Cup game fighting spirit has a chance.”
The winner of the replay will face a mouthwatering quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford after the Premiership leaders struggled past non-league Crawley on Saturday.
