Park scores first Arsenal goal in League Cup win

Park Chu-young scored the winner in Arsenal’s 2-1 Carling Cup victory over Bolton, while Park Ji-sung set up a goal to help his team advance to the fourth round on Tuesday.

The captain of the Korean national team, who joined Arsenal from French side AS Monaco this summer, finally scored his much-anticipated debut goal with a curling shot in the second half. And thanks to the striker, Arsenal booked its place in the last eight of the Cup.

Playing for the second time for the English club, the Korean international led the line superbly at Emirates Stadium.

He twice forced Bolton’s goalkeeper Adam Bogdan to save at full stretch in the first half before finally beating the keeper with a winning strike.

After a goalless first half, Bolton first took the lead thanks to Fabrice Muamba’s strike in the 47th minute. But soon after Arsenal responded, with Andrey Arshavin of Russia equalizing with a low drive in the 53rd minute.

Park’s moment of brilliance came just three minute later. Arshavin dribbled toward the goal before passing to Park on the left side.

The 26-year-old striker took a moment to look at the goal before bending his shot past the goalkeeper into the top-right corner.

“I am very pleased with Park. He has had a very, very good performance. He showed intelligence,” manager Arsene Wenger said after the game.

Since joining Arsenal in August, Park has not appeared in the Premier League or the Champions League. But Wenger noted Tuesday that Park looked ready to compete for first-choice again in the center of the field.

“The quality of his movement was fantastic and his finishing was superb. He is ready to play in league games,” Wenger said. 

Meanwhile, Park Ji-sung of Manchester United also played to full-time to help in his team’s 3-0 victory over Aldershot Town in the fourth round of the Carling Cup.

After Sunday’s humiliating 6-1 home defeat to derby rival Manchester City, manager Alex Ferguson made a few changes against the League Two side, bringing in experienced players including the likes of Park, Michael Owen and Nemanja Vidic.

The former Korean captain played a clever one-two with Tom Cleverley before passing the ball into the path of Dimitar Berbatov.

The unmarked Bulgarian slotted the ball into the net to open the scoring in the 15th minute.

Throughout the 90 minutes, Park gave an industrious display and helped Man United overrun Aldershot in the center of the field.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)