Holders Arsenal progressed into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the third straight season as they beat hosts Hull City by four goals at the KC Stadium in the fifth round replay. After playing out a goalless draw at the Emirates, Arsenal were forced to play a replay at Hull, and they did so with ease as a brace each for Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott was enough to continue their defence of the Cup.
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Here is how the players from both sides fared:
Hull City
Eldin Jakupovic – 7
He was the real hero for his team in the first tie but could not come to the rescue in this game as three of the four goals were unavoidable from his aspect. He was not helped by deflections in two goals, but could have done better for the last goal as Walcott beat him to the near post. His handling was good and he looks like one of the bright positives for Hull.
Curtis Davies – 6
He was strong at the back throughout the first half and made some crunching tackles and interceptions to deny the Arsenal attackers. But he could not stop the crosses in the second half, which subsequently resulted in goals for the Gunners.
Alex Bruce – 6
The manager’s son was fairly consistent throughout the game. He seemed like a good focal point when it came to Hull attacking from set-plays, but at the back, he struggled with the presence of Giroud as the game progressed. He deflected Walcott’s effort into goal for Arsenal’s fourth.
Tom Huddlestone – 5
The former Spurs player did not have a good game, despite being voted as Hull’s man of the match. He was missing in midfield in the second half, and given Arsenal’s inexperienced midfield, he should have done better. He failed to influence the game for the hosts.
Mohamed Diame – 6
Diame was strong when it came to defending in front of his back four. But known for his box-to-box play, he was not very active whenever Hull City got forward. In a game that was dominated by injuries, the midfielder could have taken the responsibility and cemented his place in the side with a strong performance.
Ahmed El Mohamady – 6
He was playing as a right-back for the hosts and did not have much to do with Walcott in poor form in the first hour of the game. But he was not present wholly to deny Walcott chances later in the game, when he managed to score. He coped up well with the likes of Iwobi and Campbell too.
David Meyler – 4
Sadly for the Hull captain, it was not the best game he has featured in. He was in the mix throughout he was present on the pitch. He got Ospina to make a good save in the first half but also gifted Giroud with a back-pass that was not on given how many Arsenal players were present in the box.
Harry Maguire – 6
He was responsible for deflecting Walcott’s cross for Giroud to score his second of the game. He gave away silly free-kicks at the edge of the box and also involved in a rash challenge on Walcott, resulting in earning himself a yellow card.
Moses Odubajo – 7
He was probably the best outfield player for Hull on the day. He got forward on many occasions and brought life to Hull’s attacks. But as he went forward, he left a gap at the back, which was exploited by the Gunners in the second half. He was taken off and replaced by Andrew Robertson.
Nick Powell – 5
He was involved in a clash of heads incident with Mertesacker, after which he was able to carry on. His best chance of the game came when he pounced on Meyler’s effort but was adjudged offside. He was good in the free-kicks, and could have had a goal, but made the wrong choices when passing the ball.
Adama Diomande – 5
He was good in his hold-up plays but could not really create chances for his team. Adding to that, he did not get any support from the midfield when he had the ball at his feet. He had a difficult night on the field.
Substitutes
Sone Aluko – 7
He was a good player to bring on, as he initiated some positive plays going forward.
Andrew Robertson – NA
He was introduced in the last ten minutes of the game and could only make a couple of runs, only to be denied by the Arsenal defenders.
Ryan Taylor – NA
He also came on in the final few minutes and could not make any impact.
Arsenal
David Ospina – 7
The Colombian had a good game as he made some good saves in the first half, Meyler’s effort being the stand-out. He was lucky to have kept a clean sheet as the linesman was incorrect in his decision to give an offside decision when El Mohamady had put the ball in the back of the net.
Calum Chambers – 8
The young Englishman had an outstanding game. He needed the confidence of a good performance, and he produced it with some good play after he was forced to switch to centre-back when both Mertesacker and Gabriel got injured. His right-back play lacked the decisiveness, but it appeared when he took over reins at the back.
Per Mertesacker – 7
The German was good while he was on the pitch. He started the game brightly by making some good interceptions and clearing the ball, not allowing space for the likes of Powell and Diomande. But his clash of heads with Powell, forced him off the pitch although he did try to shake it off.
Gabriel Paulista – 7
He was very steady at the back and has filled the big boots of Laurent Koscielny perfectly for Arsene Wenger’s liking. But he called his manager to take him off after he felt his hamstring tighten. Wenger confirmed that the Brazilian had tweaked his hamstring, but insisted that he should be available soon.
Kieran Gibbs – 8
The Englishman played brightly throughout the game and did not let Hull develop any real threat from the right side. This helped him in going forward on multiple occasions. The highlight of his performance came when he struck from 35-yards out only to hit the post as he beat the goalkeeper.
Mathieu Flamini – 7
The Frenchman had a good game in the middle of the park. He broke up Hull attacks regularly and won crucial free-kicks to maintain the possession in Arsenal’s favor. After having had a run of bad outings, the man who turned 31 on Monday, needed this performance to win back some confidence.
Mohamed Elneny – 7
He was slow to start his game and was caught by the Hull players at times while in possession but did well to maintain the flow of the passes through midfield into attack. He is starting to show his real capability as he did with the effort from outside the box, which was deflected by Jakupovic over the bar.
Alex Iwobi – 7
He was not in the game much in the first half, but showed his true colors in the second half as he got more involved in the passing and play. He was one of the bright players on the pitch for the Gunners, and he also assisted Theo Walcott for his second goal and Arsenal’s fourth.
Theo Walcott – 8
The forward had a difficult start to the game, and as the game progressed he missed some opportunities. But was back on track as he assisted Giroud with a cross in the second half. His fate turned around as he got two goals after Campbell and Iwobi found him in the box.
Joel Campbell – 7
It was a typical Joel Campbell performance, he started the game brightly and made some darting runs. He was never really in control of the midfield but did well to last the 90 minutes and assist Walcott for his first. He was also responsible for the first goal, as he put pressure on Meyler, who in-turn made a back-pass.
Olivier Giroud – 8
The French striker had not scored for 11 games, but with a tough round of fixtures ahead of them, Giroud got a brace with the first being a gift from Meyler. However, he produced a cool finish from his right foot to get his second of the night. He held up the ball nicely for his teammates throughout the game.
Substitutes
Nacho Monreal – 7
Monreal had to come on to replace Mertesacker after the German’s head injury. The Spanish left-back played as a centre-half and produced a fine performance. He was never really troubled.
Aaron Ramsey – NA
Ramsey came on to replace Gabriel, as Arsenal fell short on defenders, but the Welshman himself was taken off after just having come on for 16 minutes.
Jeff Reine-Adelaidex` – NA
The Frenchman came on for Ramsey and did not have much to do as Campbell, Walcott and Iwobi took centre stage.
