Gunners too hot for Boro

Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough

Arsenal booked their place in the FA Cup quarter finals with an extremely comfortable win at home to Middlesbrough on Sunday evening.

When the draw had initially been made, several eyebrows were raised amongst football pundits, as the prospect of another cup shock appeared tangible.

Middlesbrough had gone to Manchester City in the previous round and defeated the Premier League Champions with an extremely accomplished performance. Going into the game at the Emirates, Aitor Karanka’s side were also full of confidence, having stormed to the top of the Championship table in recent weeks, with a return to the Premier League appearing to be well within their grasp.

Arsene Wenger therefore had to make sure his side were on their game on Sunday. Any slip ups or any player not taking the game seriously could allow Middlesbrough to take advantage and given their impressive defensive record, the visitors would be more than capable of seeing the game out, were they to take the lead. Wenger’s decision to rest several players for this encounter could have been seen as risky pre-kick off, but from the very first whistle, the Gunners were in complete control.

Szczesny returned in goal once again for the FA Cup, following his recent demotion to the bench, but the Polish international didn’t have much opportunity to force his way back into first team contention as Middlesbrough rarely threatened his goal and for most of the match, the goalkeeper was a mere bystander.

In front of Szczesny, the defence was much changed to that which had faced Leicester City in midweek, with only Koscielny retaining his place amongst the back four. Calum Chambers was deployed at right back and enjoyed a good game, which was important for him given his recent drop in form. Kieran Gibbs came in at left back and was excellent going forward, showcasing great skill at times and causing the Middlesbrough defence numerous problems.

The main change amongst the defence however was the inclusion of Gabriel Paulista for the very first time. Since signing the Brazilian in January Wenger had stated on several occasions that the defender was ready for first team action from a physical point of view, but had decided to hold him back due to his lack of English, which Wenger was concerned could lead to misunderstanding and errors at the back. Gabriel put those fears to bed with an assured and accomplished debut performance on Sunday. His second half booking aside, Gabriel rarely put a foot wrong as he showed strength in the aerial battles, pace and commitment in the challenge, giving the Arsenal faithful a glimpse of his great potential. As time goes on, the Brazilian should get better and better as his understanding of the English language improves and he becomes more settled in his surroundings.

Ahead of the defence, Wenger really has an embarrassment of riches, enabling him to leave the likes of Walcott and Coquelin on the bench, with Ramsey out injured, but still able to call upon the sumptuous skills of Cazorla, Ozil and Sanchez. These three were a joy to behold on Sunday, interlinking beautifully with the main striker, Giroud, to cause havoc amongst the Middlesbrough defence. Ozil has been most impressive since his return from injury and is starting to put in the performances that Wenger would have expected on a regular basis when he signed the German for £42 million. With Cazorla also in imperious form the two effortlessly stroke the ball around the pitch, pulling the opposition from one side to the other with consummate ease. The hustle and bustle provided by Sanchez contrasts beautifully with the elegance of Cazorla and Ozil, while Giroud is seemingly growing into an accomplished lone striker from game to game. On Sunday all four complimented each other beautifully.

Such was Arsenal’s control on proceedings, it was only a matter of time before the Gunners opened the scoring and when the goal eventually arrived in the 27^th minute, it was well worth the wait. The Gunners toyed with their opponents, passing the ball amongst themselves on the edge of the box, before Cazorla took control, finding Gibbs on the left flank with a piercing through ball. The Englishman attacked the by-line, committing defenders as he did so, and creating space around the penalty spot, before laying the ball back to Giroud for the Frenchman to fire home. It was a beautiful move of the highest technical quality, which encapsulated the Arsene Wenger philosophy perfectly, pass and move football at its very best.

Having taken the lead the Gunners didn’t waste any time doubling their advantage, essentially sealing their passage to the next round of the competition two minutes later. While the first goal owed much to guile and skill, the second was pure instinct and quick thinking. As Arsenal prepared to take a corner, the Middlesbrough players began organising their defensive shape to clear the delivery. Sanchez and Giroud had other ideas as a quick glance from one to the other saw Giroud make a quick burst to the near post and Sanchez deliver the perfect ball into him, for the Frenchman to volley home. It was a wonderful finish from Giroud, catching the ball perfectly to fire it into the net.

Such was their complete superiority; Arsenal really could and should have racked up more goals and were it not for the heroics of Middlesbrough goalkeeper, Mejias, the Gunners would have filled their boots. Shots from Ozil and Gibbs were well saved by the goalkeeper, who also thwarted Walcott late on with a fine low save. However the best save of the day came from a Sanchez point blank header, with Mejias reacting brilliantly to push the ball around the post, when it had seemed destined for the back of the net.

At the final whistle the players fully deserved the applause from the crowd, following a truly excellent performance. The Gunners will now await Monday night’s draw in eagerness as they seek to continue their so far steadfast defence of the trophy they won last May. With important games coming up thick and fast as the season begins to enter its crucial final stage, Arsenal should take great encouragement from such a powerful display, albeit against a Championship side.