Leyton Orient hope Arsenal will be demoralised
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Your support makes all the difference.Leyton Orient midfielder Jimmy Smith hopes Birmingham's Carling Cup final win over Arsenal will have left the Gunners low on confidence as the League One side look to overcome the odds and pull off a major upset at the Emirates Stadium tonight.
Arsenal had been heavily tipped to end their six-year trophy drought last weekend but they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat to the Blues, mainly thanks to a horrific mix-up between Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny.
The error "destroyed" both players, according to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, and Smith hopes tonight's opposition will be in low spirits for the match.
"Hopefully the Birmingham match will have knocked their confidence," Smith said.
"We all know that there will be 11 internationals out there for them and it will be a great test for us.
"Everyone thought that they were going to win the cup but the underdogs won so hopefully it will be the same on Wednesday."
Jonathan Tehoue has been passed fit to play, nine days after scoring the equaliser which earned Orient tonight's money-spinning replay.
The club has been gripped with enthusiasm ever since the Frenchman's equaliser and Smith knows that will soar if Orient claim a historic victory to set up a FA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
"It's going to be amazing. When we knew we had the draw, the queue of people that went around the stadium went on for miles," he said.
"I have a few people that have text me asking for tickets and I don't even know them, trying to get some tickets. I'm trying to get everyone there that wants to go but it's hard."
The match also represents a chance for Smith to prove his doubters wrong after he was released from Chelsea in 2009 after 13 frustrating years with the club.
"Leaving Chelsea was heartbreaking," he said.
"I was there for a long time but I looked at myself at the time and I felt like I needed to move on and think about myself. I wanted to be playing every week. I didn't just want to be a number. That's why I decided to leave.
"Moving has made me a better person and footballer. I feel like I needed to take a step back and hopefully I will end up taking two steps forward. I know I can.
"The Arsenal match is a chance for me to show that I can cut it at the top level. Everyone wants to prove themselves to a lot of people and I'm no different."
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