OWEN Coyle's Carling Cup should still be half full, even though his side bowed out at the Emirates Stadium.

After challenging his fringe players to audition for a place in Saturday's Premier League line-up at Swansea, the Wanderers boss will be satisfied that many passed the test, even if the outcome of Plan B was just as fruitless as Plan A.

A golden three-minute spell from Andrey Arshavin damaged all the good work done, as the Russian flyer scored one, then made one for Park Ju-Young, moments after Fabrice Muamba had opened the scoring against his old club.

But having made nine changes to the side who had looked so stale against Sunderland, at least Coyle will wake up this morning with a selection headache, if not one brought on by a late night of celebrations.

Just Gary Cahill and Darren Pratley survived from Saturday's second-half disappearing act to take part in what was a terrifically open first half.

Arsenal sprinted out of the blocks, with teenage whiz kid Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ricardo Gardner undertaking a thrilling touchline foot race.

The Gunners youngster got better of his more experienced opponent just the once, racing on to a cross-field pass from Emmanuel Frimpong to clip a shot just wide of the post.

Having absorbed the early pressure, Wanderers exploded into life midway through the half when former Highbury trainee Darren Pratley picked up a loose ball 30 yards out, drove in a direct route towards goal, and brought a fine save out of Lukasz Fabianski diving to his left.

Arsenal replied quickly, with South Korea international Park Ju-Young drifting unchallenged from the left touchline to hitting a dipping shot with his right foot that was dealt with well by Adam Bogdan, making his first appearance since his nightmarish stint against Chelsea.

Having looked so static at the weekend, Wanderers were showing significant improvement with the ball at feet.

They opened up the home side again 10 minutes before the interval, with Gael Kakuta testing Fabianski with an angled shot.

Just as the Whites were building a head of steam, there was a reminder that while Arsene Wenger had changed his entire team for the weekend, the Frenchman certainly didn't skimp on quality.

Yossi Benayoun's chances since his deadline day move from Chelsea have been limited but he gave a glimpse of the old magic, turning Gretar Steinsson inside out before curling a shot narrowly wide.

And Thomas Vermaelen, making his first start since August, produced a perfectly struck free kick to force Bogdan into another full-length stop.

It was a big night for the young Hungarian keeper, and his confidence got another boost when he got a glove on Park's low shot to push it round the post just before the break.

Wanderers made a dream start to the second half as Muamba won the ball from Frimpong in midfield and played a one-two with Pratley before rifling his second goal of the season into the roof of the net.

But just six minutes later, the joy was diluted, as Andrey Arshavin danced into the penalty area before drilling his shot into the bottom corner.

The former Dynamo Kiev front man had hardly been in the game, but barely three minutes later he had ripped Wanderers open again, teasing Cahill before laying a ball off for Park to hit his first goal in English football.

Coyle will have been pleased with his side's response but equally annoyed by their lack of good fortune.

Fabianski got away with an awful error when a shot from sub Chris Eagles squirmed out of his hands only to land on the roof of the net, and then got another stroke of luck when Cahill's header hit him on the line and dribbled wide.

But there was nothing fortuitous about his scrambling save to block David Ngog's late effort.

As ever at the Emirates, a refereeing error seemed to cost Coyle and his side, and replays showed that referee Anthony Taylor missed a clear trip by Frimpong on Cahill that would have offered them a route back into the game.

But the Whites still had chances to level the score and push it into extra time when Steinsson's low cross was swiped wide by Klasnic, or when the Icelander diverted a late header wide of the post.

Despite their efforts, the winless run at Arsenal, which stretches back to another famous cup night in 1994, rolls on.

Wanderers: Bogdan 7, Steinsson 7, Cahill 8, Knight 6, Gardner 7, Tuncay 5, Pratley 6, Muamba 8, Mark Davies 6, Kakuta 6, Klasnic 6.

Subs: Ngog 6, 61 (for Pratley), Eagles 71 (for Kakuta), Blake 85 (for Tuncay) Not used: Reo-Coker, Jaaskelainen, Wheater, Riley.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Yennaris, Squillaci, Vermaelen, Miquel, Coquelin, Frimpong, Benayoun, Chamberlain, Arshavin, Park.

Subs: Ryo 72 (for Oxlade-Chamberlain); Ozyakup (for Frimpong); Boateng 84 (for Vermaelen) Not used: Mannone, Aneke, Meade, Watt.