All’s well that ends well for Arsenal

Preston North End 1 Arsenal 2: Danny Welbeck swapped the gloom and depression of his seemingly endless battle to come back from injuries for the gloom and depression of a rainy, misty Lancashire January evening — but his appearance may well have been the biggest plus of Arsene Wenger’s day.

The Frenchman’s proud record of never having lost a third round tie in 20 years in England was in danger until Olivier Giroud snatched a last-minute winning goal in a pulsating tie that lit up Deepdale.

But by then, Wenger had been able to throw on Welbeck, 26, for his first action of the season having recovered from a knee ligament injury, a problem which followed the England forward missing the first half of last season with another knee injury.