LAURENT ROBERT rescued his Newcastle career, as well as the Magpies' FA Cup campaign, by applying the French polish which his game had been badly lacking.

The enigmatic winger produced a superlative equaliser - and with his less-favoured right foot - after manager Bobby Robson had fired a stark warning.

Robson revealed he took Robert to one side 24 hours before Saturday's sixth-round tie to demand a vast improvement in his contribution.

The left-sided 26-year-old has clearly been playing well within himself at times, and no more so than in last Wednesday's 3-0 Premiership defeat at Liverpool.

And Robson had to act after reportedly being forced to step in to restore order when Robert's infuriated teammates turned on him in the aftermath of his sub-standard display at Anfield.

Robson made it plain that he would not tolerate any more under-achieving from the player he signed from Paris St. Germain for £10m last summer.

Robert's response was a clinical 20-yard finish after latching on to skipper Alan Shearer's neat flick-on from Nikos Dabizas's long punt, as Newcastle went for route one to blow a hole in the Gunners' defence seven minutes into the second half.

"We spent some considerable time with Laurent on Friday and he's responded,'' said Robson. "You can see what he's like when he's focused.

"He had an excellent game. He went through the middle like a gazelle and shot with his right foot, not his left.

"He also got in some good crosses and had a go at his man. He might even have had his name taken - that would have been a nice surprise for me! "He came up with a game that he needed, the team needed and the public sought. We want the public to support him, not boo him.

"I don't think he's been aware of the criticism. But I made quite sure that he had to come up with a very special game and that he had to give us more.

"I explained that Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer weren't playing and that he had to give a bit more.

"I told him what he had to do. He loses concentration and wanders in a game and he can't do that.

"He made a vital defensive header for us in the second half when we got caught on the break and he got back to cover for Sylvain Distin.

"There was no arguing about Laurent early season, but he's got to do this mid-season and end of season.

"We know he can play like this - that's why we invested in him. We just need him to maximise his performance every week. If he does that, he's a great player and there's no problem here.

"He can go past anyone and he's lethal.

"He's a match-winner and we had three match-winners missing in Dyer, Bellamy and Gary Speed.'' While Newcastle's "match-winners'' were all out through injury, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could, initially at least, afford the luxury of leaving two of his own potential match-winners on the bench.

Dennis Bergkamp, whose breathtakingly brilliant goal had given the Gunners the lead in their 2-0 Premiership victory here a week earlier, watched the first hour of this second instalment from the sidelines.

So, too, near enough, did Robert Pires. It was around this time that Wenger, having seen Robert counter Edu's 14th-minute opener, decided he needed his big guns.

With one eye on next week's Champions' League clash with Deportivo La Coruna, Wenger had hoped his deadly duo would have a relaxing afternoon on Tyneside.

But with Newcastle enjoying huge territorial superiority, especially in a first half in which Robert hit the bar, Wenger's hand was eventually forced.

Yet, even with Bergkamp and Pires in the fray, the better chances still fell to Newcastle and both Carl Cort and the man who was to replace him, Shola Ameobi, squandered gilt-edged opportunities to seal a semi-final spot.

It was a rare moment of slack defending by Newcastle that allowed Arsenal their opener. Distin failed to cut out Sylvain Wiltord's low, right-wing centre and Edu stole in to get across Dabizas and stab home.

For Dabizas, the victim of Bergkamp's sorcery a week earlier when he also let Sol Campbell escape him with disastrous consequences, it had the makings of a nightmare revisited.

But Dabizas regained his composure and like every one of his teammates ultimately acquitted himself well.

As Robson said, depleted Newcastle gave him everything except the win they deserved.

Now they face a replay at Highbury on Saturday week, when Robson hopes to have all of his "match-winners'' on show.

Dyer is on the mend after a six-week lay-off with a foot stress fracture, fellow midfielder Speed is nursing a hamstring injury, and striker Bellamy is making progress in his recovery from a knee problem.

"On the evidence of this game, they will have to fight for their places,'' said Robson.

"I thought Clarence Acuna and young Jamie McClen were brilliant in midfield. They were never outshone even though Patrick Vieira was a monster and was always going to be difficult.

"Dyer is the closest to being back and Bellamy has a chance of being fit for the replay. The specialist was talking about him being out for four to six weeks.

"I'm trying to talk in terms of three to four weeks.

"I won't risk him, but we could have all three fit and Carl Cort in better shape. The boy hadn't played for ten months because of his ankle and knee problems.

"He had eight minutes against Arsenal the week before, came off against Liverpool and he's come off here.

"He's not quite the Carl Cort we know, but he can't be after so long out.''

Read more about Newcastle FC here.